Obsession With Fear
by Darkchaosrising
Summary: Aura Warren, formally the Net Runner, was moved into witness protection in Gotham City. One unlucky night she is saved by a mysterious figure wielding a scythe. This one event causes her obsession with finding out his true identity. Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, and violence. Minor things altered from Batman Begins. If you recognize characters/locations I don't own it!
1. Chapter 1

Aura sat nervously as the two cops stepped into the room. At least this situation couldn't get any worse. The cops tossed a large file onto the table and took their seats across from her. Her lavender eyes roamed over the manila folder before returning to the two Metropolis police officers. One of them was idly texting on his phone while the other was sitting back with his eyes closed and arms crossed. She flipped her long hair over her shoulder, the platinum curls were so light they almost appeared white which coupled with her pale skin made her appear almost ghost like. The cop with the phone had clicked into a recent news report and Aura listened intently.

"_This is Lois Lane with the latest on this startling breaking news. It seems the virus created by an unknown woman has spread quickly through the internet, hitting more than forty countries so far. Over six thousand people have been affected by what is being dubbed 'The Deadly Flash.' The virus is said to cause the brain to deteriorate, making the victim become feral and very violent. Many people affected have been caught by local police and taken to area hospitals to be treated, though a great deal of innocent people and the victims themselves have been killed in the ensuing violence. Government officials state that well over five thousand people have been killed as a result of the virus but the body count is still rising as new victims are being found. If you suspect someone has been affected by 'The Deadly Flash' please barricade yourself immediately and call your local police. Do not approach them under any circumstance as they are likely to strike out and kill whoever comes close to them. Symptoms include..."_

"Turn that off now!" a new voice said as he entered the room.

Aura looked up in shock as the tears flowed down her face. Superman had come into the room and was now standing next to the table. Aura tried to bring her hands up to wipe the tears away but the handcuffs around her wrists would not let her. "Five thousand people are dead? They said they wouldn't release it if Metropolis met their demands!"

Superman placed a warm hand on her small shoulder trying to calm her down. "Aura Warren? I have some questions I need you to answer if you hope to get out of this situation."

Aura looked up into his calm eyes and nodded. "I'm sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen. He said that he would not need to use it if the government paid up."

Superman nodded. "They did pay but whoever you were working for still unleashed the virus. The police have contained and destroyed the virus, wiping it off the internet, but the victims are still being dealt with. We need to know who you were working for and why you did it?"

Aura looked down at the metal table, her features reflecting back at her. "I don't know his name and I only saw him once. He was tall and didn't have any hair and he was white. They kidnapped me from my apartment about three months ago and told me that I had to create a virus that could hurt people if it was unleashed. They held a gun to my head while I worked but I refused at first. I didn't want to hurt anyone." Aura took a few deep breaths. "Then about a week later they brought my parents in and threatened to kill them. I had no choice. I didn't care if they killed me but I wasn't going to sacrifice my parents. So I built the virus for them and then they let my parents go but said I would be a prisoner until everything was over with."

Superman nodded his head and leaned against the table. Using his heat vision he broke the handcuffs from her wrists. Handing her a napkin, she took it gratefully and wiped the tears away. "That helps a lot Aura. Your parents were moved into witness protection and unfortunately we cannot tell you were they are. I understand you are a victim in all of this and we will not be treating you like you are a criminal."

One of the police scoffed loudly. "Even before this Flash thing she has been trouble. She's a hacker and a thief."

Aura glared at the man infront of her. Superman shook his head. "I have heard the stories of 'The Net Runner' but that doesn't mean anything now. Aura hasn't committed any new crimes and has paid for her past mistakes. Besides that was all in the past when she was young. If we don't look to the future then Miss Warren will not have a chance to prove herself a better woman." Superman ushered the police from the room and sat across from Aura, reaching out and holding one of her hands. "I have spoken with the chief on your behalf and we have come to the conclusion that yes you were forced into this. You will be cleared of the charges associated with The Deadly Flash and placed into witness protection."

Aura squeezed his hand gently. "I have to leave Metropolis? But this is where I grew up, I don't know any other place."

Superman smiled warmly. "Think of it as restarting your life and a new adventure. Someone is on their way to pick you up and he will explain what you will expected to do in your new home." Superman drew the young girl up and into a hug. "Please be careful, the man who did this to you may have people after you. If anything comes up even if you think it is small, don't hesitate to call the police. I know you are scared but if you follow all the instructions given to you, you will be fine."

Superman left her in the interrogation room by herself and went to the observation room. He took a phone and called a familiar and private number. The man picked up and in a gruff voice said, "This is Batman."

"Hey its Superman. I'm sending you the girl we talked about, Aura."

"Net Runner? Did you find who was using her to make the Deadly Flash?"

"Not yet, but we will. Thanks again for finding a way to destroy it. Look, she's not dangerous just full of mischief but she has changed. Please don't treat her like a Gotham Rogue, she isn't one. We got her a job at Wayne Enterprises as the personal assistant to Mr. Wayne. Luckily he said he heard the story from you and was too eager to help her."

Batman was quiet for a few moments. "I am still going to keep my eyes on her. There are too many people in Gotham that would take advantage of her unique talents."

"Please do my friend. We already have her set up in a nice condo in a good part of town. Commissioner Gordon is coming himself to pick her up."

Batman made a soft sound to say he was listening. "I'll be in touch. I have to go there has been another attack by this Scarecrow character."

"You haven't figured out his identity yet?"

Batman growled softly. "No, he seems to be smart and capable of keeping himself from being caught. I will get him soon though."

Hours later a man entered the interrogation room and Aura met his eyes. He had kind brown eyes, feathered brown hair, and a small mustache. He pushed his glasses up his nose and smiled kindly. "Are you ready to go Miss?"

Aura nodded and follow the older man through the police station and climbed into his unmarked car. Once they were on the road did Aura look over again at him. "Where are we going?"

He looked over at her briefly before returning to the road. "My name is Commissioner James Gordon. We are headed to Gotham City, ever been there?"

Aura felt her heart grow cold. She had heard of the notorious city in the north where crime would run rampant and a man dressed like a bat tried to stop the criminals. "Gotham City? I have never been there but the stories are awful that come from that place."

Gordon laughed softly. "I can see how you would think that but the city has gotten better since the Batman has helped root out the Rogues and gangs. Plus you have a condo in a safe part of town. If you look in the glove box there is a file in there with all the details of your new life."

Aura took out the file and started reading it. "I don't have a new name? Isn't that going to be dangerous?"

Gordon sighed. "I tried to fight about that but they said that the gangsters that kidnapped you only knew that your name was Net Runner from your hacker days. I would recommend that you change your hair. That color is not common."

Aura nodded and kept reading. She was to be a secretary or assistant to Bruce Wayne. "The Bruce Wayne? How in the world did you manage that?"

"Batman is a good friend to Mr. Wayne. When Wayne heard about your story he wanted to help in any way he could. Don't worry, Wayne Enterprises is one of the safest places in Gotham. You should have no problems at all and before you know it that gangster will be rounded up and you can reunite with your family in Metropolis."

Aura felt a fresh wave of tears forming at the mention of her family. She would never see them again so long as the man who did this was free. Hopefully they were safe, that was all that mattered. The drive to Gotham was long and Aura slept most of the way there. Sometime in the middle of the ride Aura had wound up with the Commissioner's jacket around her shoulders and when she woke up she held it confused. "Did you put this on me?"

Gordon nodded. "You started shaking and the heater is busted in this old car. We are almost at your new place."

Aura watched as the towers of the city closed in around the car. Metropolis looked a lot like this but Gotham felt different, more dangerous. Aura tried to will herself to disappear from the world but knew that no matter how much she prayed it wouldn't happen. They pulled up to a gate that surrounded a group of condos. Gordon input the gate code and pulled up to a corner condo, that was half hidden by a giant Dawn Redwood. Gordon handed her a set of keys and bid her a good night.

**Six Months Later**

Aura dressed in a black pinstripe skirt suit with a crisp white button up shirt. She expertly tucked her white hair into a bun before placing her black wig on. The curls gently fell to her shoulders and she sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror. Checking her watch to make sure she was still on schedule she returned to her bedroom. A figured stirred within the heavy sheets and Aura smiled as chocolate brown eyes opened. She bent down and kissed the man's ebony cheek, smiling at the smell of his cologne from the previous night.

He rolled over and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to the bed. "You on the way out baby?"

"Yep, I have that early meeting that I need to prepare the conference room for. Are you going to be home all day Tony?" Aura asked as she disentangled herself from the strong arms holding her.

"Yeah, I'll be here. I might have a job later." Aura turned her back on him to grab her purse from the floor. "You better not be late coming home, I got a surprise for you."

Aura yelped as his hand smacked her rear. Her face blushed darkly. "I'll be home by nine. I promised Susan I would go with her to grab a drink."

"Where are you going?" he asked suspiciously.

Aura tried to smile as her discomfort grew. She had met Tony two months after moving into Gotham. He was sweet and gentle to her at first. Within a month of dating he started pressuring her to move in and Aura agreed since he was having issues at the place he was currently at. That's when things started getting worse. He would get jealous if she went out with friends from work and if she was ever late coming home he demanded to check her phone. Aura at first tried to brush it off as he was just concerned for her but the unease of the whole situation grew. "Just the bar down the street from work. I will be home by nine I promise."

Quickly Aura left the condo and jumped into the company vehicle that Bruce Wayne was adamant that she have. It made Aura feel uncomfortable with his generosity but she couldn't tell him no. Within twenty minutes, Aura was pulling into the underground garage below the Wayne Tower. She flashed a smile at the young security guard as he checked her badge at the front desk. "Good morning Samuel. How is the new baby?"

"Fine Miss Warren. The wife is starting to get some sleep so she's happier. The monster-in-law is helping to babysit while I'm here." he laughed.

Aura gave him a playfully stern look. "Now, now. Be nice to her. She'll babysit when you want to make a second, remember!"

Aura skipped away and into the elevator just as the door's were closing. After pressing the button for the ninety fifth floor, she leaned back against the back wall. The doors opened a on the third floor and an older black gentleman entered. He smiled warmly to Aura and she returned the expression. "Good morning beautiful. You on your way to the bird's nest." he asked.

"You know me Lucius. How is your wife doing? Is she still sick?" Aura asked, looking over the man's tired face.

"No, the hospital just released her last night. She has gotten much better. You should come over for dinner some time and meet her. Tanya would love to meet you." Lucius Fox replied touching her shoulder gently.

Aura winced slightly at the discomfort in her shoulder. "I would love to when she is fully better."

Lucius narrowed his eyes slightly at the discomfort in her eyes. On the sixtieth floor Lucius exited with a kind good bye and Aura was left alone again. Wayne Tower was a ghost town at four in the morning. When the doors opened to her floor, Aura quickly made her way to the conference room. She spread out the booklets that contained the paperwork for the six o'clock meeting. The water pitchers and glasses were placed on two ends of the long table. Next she opened all the curtains on the windows to let the early morning sun into the room. As she was checking to make sure all the windows had been spotlessly cleaned the conference room door opened.

Aura gasped and back away quickly from the door, tripping on her heel and landing on her butt. "Oh Miss Warren!" Warm hands grasped her hands and pulled her back onto her feet.

Aura blushed darkly when her eyes met a pair of caramel brown eyes. Bruce Wayne returned her smile with one of his own handsome grins. He straightened his suit and looked around the room. Immediately Aura straightened her own skirt and fixed the chair she had bumped into. "I'm so sorry Mr. Wayne. You surprised me and I wasn't expecting company so early this morning."

Bruce looked back at her. "I should be the one apologizing Aura. I woke up early because I received a phone call."

Confusion clouded Aura's features. "A phone call Sir? Is there something I can do for you?"

Bruce Wayne came closer to her, standing just a few inches away. "Lucius is concerned that someone may be bothering you. Is there something we need to talk about?"

Aura shook her head after a few moments of silence. "I have no idea what Mr. Fox could be talking about Mr. Wayne."

Bruce flashed a smile. "Well he is protective over you Aura." He gently patted her shoulder and Aura winced. When her eyes twitched Bruce caught hold of her chin, holding her face. "Did you hurt your shoulder?"

Aura felt a small panic rise in her stomach, a nausea beginning to wash over her. "I fell out of bed this morning. I can be kinda klutzy sometimes." She tried to laugh softly.

Bruce Wayne sighed, his face turning emotionless. "Are you okay Aura? It has been six months since you came here and I have never seen you klutzy before. The last few weeks I have noticed that your personality is changing. You are becoming more docile and skittish. Is everything alright at home?"

Aura backed away from Bruce Wayne, walking around the table and straightening the portfolios. "Everything is fine Mr. Wayne. I haven't had any trouble so far in Gotham which is surprising considering the crime rate of the city. I mean I did happen to be driving home the other week when, and don't quote me, but the Riddler pulled up next to me. He was honking his horn trying to get me to lower my window so I just went ahead and made a right to get away from him, I didn't want to get into trouble. Oh and the old woman next door made me some brownies that I am pretty sure had something funny in them so I threw them out. Commissioner Gordon came by here the other day to check up on me and brought me some lilies. That was nice."

Aura tried to laugh when she realized she had been babbling, but it came out awkwardly. Bruce smiled kindly and headed for the door. "Aura if anything is bothering you never hesitate to tell me. You know I am here to help you right?"

"And I'm very appreciative Mr. Wayne."

"Bruce, please. We are friends now."

"Thank you Bruce." Aura waved to him as the door closed. She fell down into the closest chair to her, holding her face in her hands.

Bruce Wayne stood outside the door to the conference room, listening to the quiet crying of his secretary inside. The second that he saw her face twitch from the pain of his soft touch on her shoulder, Bruce put the dots together. Lucius said that the same thing happened in the elevator and all he had done was place his hand on the same shoulder. A simple fall from out of the bed would not be enough to cause her the pain that her face displayed. Someone had grabbed her shoulder with enough force to cause a substantial bruise.

He crossed the hallway and entered into the outer office that contained Aura's desk. Lucius Fox was standing next to the window of the room, gazing out over the city. "I think you're right Lucius. Someone hurt Aura."

Fox turned to his friend and boss, the frown still present on his face. "I brought what you asked for. A small microphone recorder that has a range to reach the cave."

Bruce took the small device and crossed over to the desk. He opened the bottom drawer and pulled out the small white purse. He reached in and took out the touch phone, popping the back off and placing the small bug inside. "It will also catch her calls right?"

Fox nodded, his frown deepening. "Yes. Mr. Wayne when we get to the bottom of this situation you will remove that bug correct. I can understand finding out who is hurting Aura but I cannot condone invading her privacy after she is safe again."

Bruce Wayne replaced the purse and resealed the drawer. "Of course Lucius. She has gained my trust the past six months and I have all faith that she is no longer being sought by anyone from Metropolis. Superman says that they found a good lead on who was using her though the main culprit has yet to be caught."

"We can only hope Mr. Wayne. I bet she is anxious to get back home and reunite with her family." Lucius answered, taking a deep breath.

When the lunch hour rolled around Aura found herself in one of Bruce Wayne's favorite cafes. She waited in the long line, double checking Bruce's order that he wrote on her paper. Suddenly a man bumped into her, spilling his coffee all over her front. Aura gasped in surprise at the cold beverage and the man cursed. "What the hell you bitch! Watch where you are going!"

Aura shook her hands, the coffee dripping down her fingers. "I am so sorry I guess I did not see you walking as I have been standing in this same spot for twenty minutes."

"You smart ass bitch. I won't let some little whore talk to me that way."

The man raised a hand to smack her face only another hand clasped around his wrist, twisting it hard. "I suggest you remove yourself from this place before something happens that you won't like."

Aura glanced over her shoulder at the tall man behind her. He was tall and thin, wearing a nice business suit with a vest underneath. His medium brown hair was neatly brushed back so it did not fall into his eyes. When she looked into those eyes, her breath caught in her throat. They were the palest shade of blue she had ever seen in another human. He narrowed his eyes at the man behind his glasses, the square frames doing nothing to contain the fire in his eyes. The man stared back at him, unmoved. The tall man behind Aura pulled off his glasses and a whole new life seemed to bloom in those icy eyes. The man infront of Aura quickly pulled his hand away and whispered an apology, all but running from the cafe.

Aura looked back at the tall man behind her. He had replaced his glasses and inclined his head towards the counter. "It looks like you're up."

Aura was stunned for a few seconds. "Thank you so much for that." She turned back to the employee behind the counter. "Can I get two of the King Prawn salads with balsamic vinaigrette please." She handed the employee her card and leaned forward closer to her. "Please charge the man's order behind me as well."

Aura stepped to the side and quietly sat in a close chair while she waited for the order to be made. A few moments later the tall man stepped up next to her, handing her back her credit card. "You didn't need to do that."

Aura looked up into his icy eyes, stunned at the intensity of his gaze. She smiled softly. "And you didn't need to step in and stop that man from hitting me but you did."

The man chuckled softly. "I just can't stand bullies like that."

Aura smiled and stood, holding out her hand. "Aura Warren, it is a pleasure to meet you."

"Jonathan Crane. I see you work for Wayne Enterprises, how long have you been there?"

Aura blushed lightly as she slipped her company card into her purse. "About six months. Where do you work?"

He chuckled softly. "If I told you, you would not be standing here for long."

"Oh come on, it can't be that bad." Aura looked over at the counter when her name was called. "I'm sorry but it looks like I have to go. I hope I can see you again Mr. Crane and thanks again."

"No thank you for lunch and an interesting day." He shook her offered hand and Aura picked her bag up heading for the front door. She gave the tall man one last look as she walked past the cafe window. A dark blush crept across her face as she saw his eyes following her.

Jonathan Crane sat as he started eating. _'Looks like today's lunch was not a complete waste of time.'_

**_'So we will track her then?'_** A dark voice whispered in his head.

_'No, not her. She is too innocent and easy.'_

_**'Easy?'**_ the voice screamed. **_'I want to see her screaming and pleading for mercy. Her fear would be delicious.'_**

Jonathan sighed internally as he sipped the hot coffee. _'She is full of fear. Her mind would break too quickly for any worthwhile experiments. That man on the other hand...'_

_**'Jonny you need to live a little. We could do so much with the girl, things you have not felt for quite some time.'**_

Jonathan grimaced and closed his eyes tightly as images of a naked woman covered in blood and pleading for him to stop came into his mind. With strong conviction he willed the images away. _'Stop that Scarecrow! That was your doing! We will get the man. He should prove to make an interesting night.'_

The Scarecrow groaned in his head as he finished his meal. Jonathan stalked out of the cafe placing his hands in his pockets. He spotted his target down the street, trying his luck with another woman. He followed the gangster down an abandoned alley, quietly closing the distance between them. Jonathan pulled out a hidden syringe from his pocket, taking the sheath off the needle. The man stopped walking to light his cigarette and Jonathan made his move. Quickly pushing the needle into the man's neck and sinking the plunger down to inject the clear fluid. The man tried to swing around to hit him off but Jonathan was too quick and back stepped. Within seconds the man's body fell to the ground, limp and lifeless. Jonathan wasn't worried, the paralyzingly agent would not be enough to kill him. Taking the man from under the arms he began to drag him to the end of the alley, throwing the limp body into the trunk of his car. He was sure to make a break through in his new fear gas tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

Aura walked into the bar around the corner and walked up to the fiery red head sitting on a stool. Susan turned around and all but screamed in happiness. "Aura! You never come out anymore since you met that horrible..."

"Susan' leave her boyfriend out of this!" a man behind her said while handing Aura a mixed cocktail.

"Arthur you know that Tony is an asshole. Aura you should drop him and get with a real man. I mean Bruce Wayne is single and you do spend a lot of time with him."

Aura felt her cheeks heat up and she coughed as she choked on her drink. "Susan! Mr. Wayne is my boss. I don't date people I work with; its make things complicated."

Susan brushed her off and kissed Arthur. They were both computer programers in the electronics department of Wayne Enterprises. Just like her hair would suggest, Susan was a wild child and was never afraid to tell people what was on her mind. Arthur was a lot more subdued and quiet. Aura never quite understood how they worked so well together. Aura was brought out of her thoughts as Susan elbowed her in the ribs. "What did you say?"

"Get it together Aura. You are much to sober to already have problems hearing." She laughed and handed Aura a new drink, replacing the empty one. "I was saying that the tall guy in the corner over there is staring at you."

Aura went to turn around but Susan pulled her back. "What?"

"Don't just look over there unless you plan on going and talking to him." She gasped loudly. "You totally should! He is cute in a skinny nerd kinda way, nothing like that hulk of a man you date. Wait do you even like white guys?"

Aura blushed darkly and shook her head. "You have no filter do you?" Aura drained her drink and ordered another. "I don't have any preferences. I go for good personalities."

Susan rolled her eyes. "Then what the hell happened with Tony?"

"He was nice at first."

"Dump him." She threw an arm around Aura's shoulders. "I'll repeat: dump him. He isn't good for you and he's controlling. Get rid of the zero and get yourself a new man that respects you. Go talk to skinny."

Susan twirled Aura around and gave her a push towards the corner of the bar. Aura laughed softly and walked in the direction, letting her eyes sweep over the people. When her eyes settled on the man in the corner she couldn't help but laugh a little. "Well, well. Fancy seeing you here."

Cold, blue eyes looked up at her. He smiled broadly as he inclined his head to the seat across from him. "Fancy that."

"Jonathan Crane, wasn't it?" Aura said as she sat across from him.

Jonathan's eyebrows rose in surprise. _'She remembered my name?'_

_**'Twice in one day Jonny. This is fate. She is meant to become an experiment.'**_ The Scarecrow growled in his head.

Jonathan could feel the Scarecrow clawing to come out and take the woman infront of him back to his lab. He reached in his pocket, fingering the pill bottle there. The Scarecrow growled dangerously but was silent after. Jonathan returned his full attention to the pair of strange lavender eyes that were staring at him. "Yes, I'm surprised you remember Miss Warren."

Aura laughed softly. "Of course I would remember you. You did help me earlier. So do you come here often?"

"No, not at all but I am celebrating tonight."

"Oh? What are you celebrating?"

"A breakthrough in my experiments."

Aura smiled brightly and raised her glass. "Congratulations Mr. Crane."

Jonathan raised his glass, tapping it lightly to hers. He then drank a good swig from it. _**'If only she knew the truth to what she was celebrating.'**_ The Scarecrow laughed.

_'Behave yourself or I will take the medicine again to make you go away.'_ Jonathan growled threateningly at his dark half.

Aura brushed a dark curl over her shoulder. "So you just got off work?"

"You can say that."

"Okay so let me get this straight." Aura leaned back in her chair with her fingers on her chin. "You conduct experiments so must be some sort of scientist. Oh, but you did say at the cafe that your job would frighten me. Hm," she tapped a finger to her chin and snapped. "I know, you must be a mad scientist."

Jonathan laughed loudly. A tear slipped down his cheek and he wiped it away. "A mad scientist? No, I am..."

"Wait, wait. Don't tell me," Aura interrupted. She leaned in to whisper and a blush crept over Jonathan's face as the tops of her breasts were more exposed. The Scarecrow moaned softly in his head. "You aren't planning to hold Gotham ransom are you?"

Jonathan stared at her quietly, searching her eyes. _'How did she know? How could this simple girl figure out that I am a Rogue?' _When Aura laughed he relaxed as he realized it was a joke. "I'm afraid my last plan got pushed back a little when the Batman interfered."

Aura laughed and finished her drink. "You gotta hate when that happens."

Jonathan motioned a waiter over and pointed to her drink. He slipped the waiter his credit card. When he returned his gaze to the woman in front of him, he widened his eyes a little. Aura was glaring at him darkly. "Is something wrong?"

"You aren't supposed to be paying for my drinks," she said flatly.

"Really? The last I was taught growing up was that the man normally pays for a woman's drink at a bar." Jonathan stated as he signed the credit slip.

"Did you grow up in Gotham?"

Jonathan was surprised again at her curiosity over him. He had never before had someone genuinely want to know something about him. Normally, women only wanted one thing and that was money. If they weren't gold diggers then they were just playing a prank or joke on him. But the look in Aura's eyes told Jonathan that she was sincerely interested in his answers. Jonathan's heartbeat picked up as his excitement in with this new girl grew. "No, I grew up in a small farm town in Georgia. What about you Miss Aura."

Aura blushed softly. "You can call Aura. I just recently moved to Gotham."

"Hopefully you are finding it..." Jonathan trailed off as Aura's attention was diverted to a yelling match coming from the bar.

Her eyes grew wide with fear and she quickly looked to her wrist. "Shit! Its ten, I'm so late."

Jonathan narrowed his eyes at her sudden fear. "Is everything alright?"

"Thank you for the drink Mr. Crane. I have to go."

Jonathan barely got a word out as she ran up to the bar, placing a hand on a large black gentleman's shoulder. The man turned on her, his face clearly angry. The red haired woman that Aura had been with earlier kept screaming at the man and he turned back to her.

_**'Did you see the fear in her eyes? It was delicious. I need more!'**_ The Scarecrow screamed in his head.

_'Silence! I am trying to listen.'_ Jonathan got out of his chair and slinked up towards the bar. The large man was screaming at Aura now, towering over her slender form. A pang of anger crawled into Jonathan's head as the man threatened to strike Aura.

"Please Tony. I'm sorry I didn't realize that it was getting so late." Aura pleaded, her body clearly shaking from fear.

_**'He is striking fear into my prey! How dare he! Jonathan let me out, I will make him pay for ever threatening my Aura.'**_the Scarecrow growled.

_'She is not your prey.'_ Jonathan snapped back, startled at the fierceness of his protection for the girl he just met.

"Shut the fuck up you slut! What where you doing here? Trying to get into some fucking man's pants I bet!" the man, Tony, yelled.

Aura had tears threatening to fall. "No, Tony. I was just hanging out with my friends."

"Shut up you whore!" Tony screamed.

His large hand came up and in a swift, brutal move he backhanded Aura across the face. Aura collapsed to the ground, unconscious from the savage strike. Jonathan sprang forward before he could stop himself and cradled Aura in his arms. She was completely out, blood trickling from her mouth. There was already a giant red mark on her cheek, her eye swelling fast.

Tony towered over the two of them. "So you must be the fucking whore's new cock. I'm going to break your scrawny ass."

Jonathan felt in his suit jacket for the canister of fear gas he created containing his new, stronger formula. He gripped it tightly ready to spread the toxin into the air but he stopped before he brought it out. He knew that he himself would be unaffected. Years of developing the fear toxin had built up an immunity in his body but Aura would be affected as well. Tony froze before he could throw his punch as flashing lights surrounded the bar. Commissioner Gordon ran into the bar with his gun drawn, pointing at the tall man. Two other officers came and handcuffed the man, pulling him from the bar and to the waiting cars on the curbs.

Commissioner Gordon knelt beside Jonathan, looking over Aura's still form. "Dr. Crane, this is a surprise. What happened?"

The red head pushed her way through the crowd. "I can tell you officer. That brute, Tony Byron, came in and started screaming that Aura needed to come home with him. We tried to tell him to fuck off, that she didn't want him in her life anymore. I mean she has been meaning to tell him for the past week but is terrified of the freak. So anyway she came back from talking with this man here and Tony blew up. He accused her of cheating on him and slapped her when she tried to calm him down."

Gordon looked back to Jonathan for his story. "That is pretty much what happened."

The officer turned back to the red head after mumbling into the speaker of his radio. "Who is this Tony to her? A boyfriend I'm assuming."

"Yeah, if that's what you can call an animal like him." the red head all but growled.

Two emergency medical personal appeared and lifted Aura from Jonathan's arms. He reluctantly released her. Gordon cleared his throat to capture Jonathan's attention. "Would you be willing to offer a statement Dr. Crane?" Jonathan nodded. He took the offered form from an officer and quickly filled out the paper. The red head finished after him and the officer disappeared out the front door. Gordon placed a heavy hand on Jonathan's slender shoulder. "Can I talk to you outside?"

Jonathan followed the man to the side of his police car. Gordon leaned against the door and crossed his arms as the ambulance drove away. "Was something on your mind, Gordon?"

The older man sighed heavily. "How do you know Aura Warren? You seemed to be close to her."

Jonathan shifted on his feet. "I met her this morning. Some gangster dropped a drink on her and tried to hit her. I stopped him and she bought me lunch. I saw her in the bar and when she saw me, she came over and talked. I wouldn't really say I know her that well."

Gordon nodded and stood straight. "Just checking. Thanks for you help tonight Dr. Crane."

A few hours after midnight, Jonathan found himself in the heart of his lab. He stared angrily at the clock on the wall. Impatiently he tapped his fingers against the stainless steel table. The equipment on the lab table, bubbled merrily as it synthesized his new fear gas. The doors opened below him, in the storage area of the secret warehouse. His lab was located on the second floor and had a panoramic view of the warehouse floor below. Two of his newly paid henchmen, borrowed from the Maroni Gang for the night, drug in his new victim.

Jonathan smiled. He slipped his glasses off, tucking them into his pocket. Closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath, he slid on the burlap mask that sat in his lap. When he opened his eyes, his entire personality had shifted to allow his dark form to take over. Scarecrow swept from the chair and all but danced down the stairs to the warehouse floor. He spread his hands in welcome as the two gangsters threw the battered man to his feet. "Welcome gentleman!" Scarecrow said happily.

The gangsters grabbed the suitcase of money that Scarecrow offered and left the warehouse when he motioned them out. The victim was pulled to a stainless steel examining table in the center of the warehouse. Scarecrow strapped the man down on the lit table. He disappeared back to his lab and started collecting a few different tools. As he was descending the stairs, he heard screaming coming from below.

"What the fuck is this shit!" the man screamed. When Scarecrow approached the side of the table the man stopped struggling against the bindings. "What the fuck? You have no idea who you fucked with asshole! My boss won't be happy about this."

Scarecrow narrowed his eyes and spread his tools on the small wheeled surgeon's table. "Tony, Tony. Calm down. There is nothing you can do about this situation. Panic won't help you so save your energy for what is to come."

"What the fuck?" Tony started to struggle as he caught sight of the steel instruments next to him. "Look man, I don't know what this is about but I can pay you."

Scarecrow made a tutting noise and shook a finger. "You hurt something that belongs to me. You caused my Aura fear. That is something only I can do."

"Aura? Who the fuck are you?"

"Yes Aura. You see, I met her recently and I grew pretty attached to the fear behind her eyes. Only I am allowed to bring that fear out of her. But you decided to take that upon yourself tonight and that cannot be allowed. Her fear belongs to me alone."

Tony struggled harder as the Scarecrow brought up an aerosol gun. "What the fuck are you talking about? My boss wants that stupid bitch. He is going to kill you if you interfere."

Scarecrow pushing in a capsule of his newest fear toxin. He put his finger on the trigger and held it infront of the man's sweating face. "Tell me who you work for."

"The fuck I will you freak! Who the fuck do you think you are!"

Scarecrow pulled the trigger to release the gas. The man took in a deep breath and within seconds started screaming. The sweat poured down the man's ebony forehead. Scarecrow laughed, imaging what his mask looked like to the man. He grabbed a scalpel and pressed the blade to the man's throat. "Who do you work for?"

Tony screamed as he looked at the mask Scarecrow wore. "The fuck are you? Please don't kill me mama I didn't mean to rape that girl." Scarecrow pressed the blade deeper into the soft flesh, blood trickling down his throat. "Joker! Joker told me to get the girl interested in me so that she could make a computer virus for him! I don't know what for but she is the only person that can do it!"

"Why her?"

"She's the Net Runner from Metropolis!"

Scarecrow furrowed his brows. _**'Metropolis?'**_

_'She said she wasn't from Gotham. Maybe she is from Metropolis? What would the Joker want with a computer virus?' _Jonathan said softly in the Scarecrow's mind.

_**'What is a Net Runner?'**_

_'I heard that name before from news reports. It was a few years ago but there was supposedly some hacker that went by that name.'_

_**'Aura is a hacker? That girl doesn't strike me as a computer type but those eyes do hide their secrets behind that fear.'**_

_'I know someone we could ask.' _Jonathan mused._ 'Finish your playtime and we can go find him tomorrow.'_

Scarecrow smiled as the fear gripped the black man harder. He screamed as his eyes began to roll behind his lids. He wasn't long for this world. Scarecrow cut off the shirt from the man's flesh and began slicing into his chest. When he was down, blood dripped from his hands and onto the floor. He dialed a number on his phone for one of his henchman to come back. The man entered the warehouse, his eyes going wide at the sight on the table. "Hang him in front of that bar near Wayne Enterprises. Let everyone see him and know what is mine."

Before the henchman dragged the body away, Scarecrow stuffed his head into a burlap sack and placed bundles of hay into his clothes. He smiled at his own handiwork. Scarecrow was satisfied that this display of his savagery was sure to strike fear in the hearts of the citizens of Gotham, especially his Aura.

_**'She will be mine Jonny.'**_ he whispered in his head.

Scarecrow removed the burlap sack from his head, sighing loudly. Jonathan took over smoothly and slipped the glasses back on his nose. He felt a small bout of nausea roll over him at the amount of blood and skin on the floor around him. "Did you have to make such a mess?"

_**'Focus Jonathan! Who do we go to now? I need to know all about my little Aura if I were to make her mine.'**_

Jonathan sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You are being obsessive over a girl we just met?"

_**'You want her too Jonathan. Don't forget I can feel what you feel. That tingling in your groin when she laughed and looked you in the eyes, I felt that. The need you had to have her in your arms as those ambulance goons took her away,' **_Scarecrow growled. **_'The anger you felt when she was struck by that animal. She was nice to you. She remembered your name and asked you questions about your life. I can feel your own obsession, as you put it, clawing at your heart. You want her as much as I do. We should work together and make her our next prey.'_**

"And do what with her?" Jonathan asked as he climbed into his car, heading home.

_**'The only thing worth doing with a frighten doe like her. Make her fear complete and ours!'**_ Scarecrow laughed darkly, filling Jonathan's head with the resonating sound. **_'Who do we see about tracking her past down?'_**

Jonathan sighed. "The only person that can find a hacker than might not want to be found. The only person to solve our little problem. The Prince of Puzzles, Edward Nygma."


	3. Chapter 3

Jonathan Crane slowly pulled his car into a dark alley in the middle of the Narrows. Before he left the confines of his vehicle he made sure to slip a canister of fear gas into his pants pocket. He had left his suit jacket in his hideout before making his way here, preferring the shirt and vest in the cool autumn night. The Scarecrow's mask was tucked into his glove box; he knew he wouldn't need it considering The Riddler long ago figured out who was under the burlap sack. Crane used the shadows to approach a hidden door in the brick wall of the alley only discernible with a green question mark. Every day there was a new riddle loaded into a small hidden screen on the door, challenging anyone who would enter The Riddler's lair. If you could solve it then the door would spring open and you would be able to enter without harm; failing to answer correctly would result in a trap door leading down to what Jonathan could only guess was The Riddler's holding cells.

Jonathan pushed the covering off of the screen and within a few minutes the riddle appeared: I make you weak at the worst of times. I keep you safe, I keep you fine. I make your hands sweat, and your heart grow cold. I visit the weak, but seldom the bold. What am I? A harsh, soft laugh echoed from his throat as the answer instantly popped into his head. "How fitting," he whispered as he punched in the answer: Fear.

The door silently swung open on well oiled hinges and Jonathan slipped into the soft light of an entrance way. He froze as his face met the tip of the golden question mark staff, about to bash him between the eyes. The cane was pulled back and The Riddler himself laughed loudly. Edward Nygma was dressed in his Riddler suit, green jacket and matching pants with a bowler hat and purple mask. A large, purple question mark tie was smoothed back into place as he allowed the doctor access to his lair. Jonathan silently followed his fellow Rogue into a small, but quaint, kitchen. Nygma poured himself a shot of bourbon offering the bottle to Jonathan who refused with a shake of the head.

Nygma leaned against the counter top, swinging his cane around. "Riddle me this: With potent, flowery words speak I, Of something common, vulgar, dry; I weave webs of pedantic prose, In effort to befuddle those, Who think I wile time away, In lofty things, above all day. The common kind that linger where Monadic beings live and fare; Practical I may not be, But life, it seems, is full of me!"

Jonathan narrowed his eyes at the green clad villain. _**'Just gas him already. He's giving me a headache.'**_ Scarecrow growled within his mind.

Crane sighed thinking, _'We need information and he knows it. We have to play his little games.'_ Slender fingers held his chin as he pondered the riddle. Then with a knowing smirk he locked his icy eyes on the Riddler's green ones. "The answer is a riddle."

The Riddler slammed his hand down on the counter. "Damn it Crane!" He slipped his bowler hat and mask off, placing them on the counter. "I thought I had you. So what do I owe the pleasure of this little visit. Wait! Let me guess."

Jonathan had to close his eyes to restrain the restless Scarecrow. It seemed his darker half was quickly losing patience. "I suppose a riddle is in order."

Nygma smiled darkly. "Good luck."

Minutes ticked by as Jonathan thought of a good riddle to explain his presence here. "Of no use to one yet absolute bliss to two. The small boy gets it for nothing. The young man has to lie for it. The old man has to buy it. The baby's right, the lover's privilege, the hypocrite's mask. To the young girl, faith; to the married woman, hope; to the old maid, charity. What am I?"

The Riddler paced his kitchen for a few seconds as he repeated the riddle. When a flourish he clasped Jonathan on the back. "Are you here about a girl?"

"That is not the answer, Nygma."

"Oh poppycock the answer is a kiss. So what about this girl? Or I mean is it a guy?" Nygma stared into Jonathan's eyes and laughed. "I mean I'm not judging if it is a guy I just would like to know how much distance to put between us."

Crane almost slipped and let the Scarecrow out to kill this maniac. It took a great deal of his willpower to suppress the murderous rage of the Rogue in him. He took the hand off his shoulder, squeezing it until the Riddler had to yank it back. "I just need information."

"That will cost you." The Riddler motioned for Jonathan to follow him. The stairs at the end of the hall led to a small puzzle door. Within seconds Nygma had the door opened and they stepped into a room packed with computer screens, surveillance equipment, post-it notes of riddles on almost every available surface, costume design drawings, and pizza boxes. Jonathan moved a box and sat down in one of the armchairs in a corner. The Riddler took his place on a wheeling stool, staring at the Rogue in the corner. Jonathan knew that even in the shadow his eyes would be shining bright. "Riddle me this: If you break me, I'll not stop working. If you can touch me, my work is done. If you lose me, you must find me with a ring soon after. What am I?"

Jonathan had to repeat the riddle several times in his head. A dark and low growl sounded inside of his mind. _**'Isn't it obvious you twit? The heart. You better be right about this creature or I swear we will find out how well his intellect does when submerged in his worst nightmares.'**_

_'Perhaps we should go into the riddle business. You seem to have a knack for them Scarecrow.'_ Jonathan had to stifle a laugh as the dark one threatened to take over permanently. That was impossible, Jonathan still had many things keeping his will strong. "The heart," he answered.

Nygma was delighted as he clapped his hands. "Well done Crane. I didn't think you had it in you." He leaned back against the table behind him. "So what information do you seek that The Riddler has?"

"I need to know about someone called 'The Net Runner.'"

Nygma tapped his fingers on his thigh. "Net Runner? Hm...that's a name I haven't seen for awhile." He spun on his stool and clicked away at his keyboard. "He was a hacker out of Metropolis but even all the way out there was a pain in my side. He had a knack for creating havoc with trading markets and sending police files from not only gangsters computers but even mine. It took me days to figure out how to create a firewall strong enough to block that damn hacker."

"What is this about him being able to create viruses?"

Nygma shook his head as he brought up a news article. "Not just your normal computer virus that would wipe your hard drive but seriously deadly ones."

"Deadly?" Crane felt the Scarecrow's interest peaking, his excitement growing._ 'Calm yourself; Nygma keeps saying he as if the Net Runner is male.'_ he thought, soothing his dark one.

"Yeah deadly. Net Runner had developed this unique ability to combine certain flashing lights and sounds to create changes in the mind. His normal thing was just to make the victim have an intense bout of panic or fear, enough to make them wet themselves or something funny like that. You see, he would hack into your web cam so he could record you flipping out and then post it to his blog site. Of course the effects of the virus would wear off within a few hours." Riddler snapped and chuckled softly. "There was this one virus he released on Valentine's Day that was texted to nearly every phone in Gotham, Metropolis, and Star City that had this hilarious effect on the male brain wave. As soon a man heard the sound he would immediately cum in his pants, effectively ruining any shot he had at getting laid! Damn near ruined my night if I wasn't already done with my heist."

"Sounds like just an amateur nuisance." Jonathan said as if he was bored.

"Yeah I mean the worst Net Runner ever really did besides the mind manipulations was steal money from rich people. I mean he did steal **a lot** of money but only rarely. He was pretty tame up until half a year ago." Edward Nygma trailed off as he lost himself in a memory.

Jonathan felt his own interest peak. "What happened six months ago?"

"Riddle me this: I am, in truth, a yellow fork from tables in the sky by inadvertent fingers dropped the awful cutlery. Of mansions never quite disclosed and never quite concealed the apparatus of the dark to ignorance revealed."

Crane cracked his neck in annoyance. "Lightning. What does lightning have to do with anything?" He jumped from his chair and grasped the lapel of the Rouge's coat. "Enough games Nygma!"

"What does lightning do, Jonathan? Think hard now." The Riddler looked up at him smugly.

"Flash." A few seconds ticked by as he thought of the last six months. "The Deadly Flash? That was the Net Runner?"

"Bingo!" Nygma's eyes looked up into Jonathan's with a dark tinge to them. "Net Runner found a way to permanently damage the brain and send people back to being nothing more than mindless animals. Thousands of people died and thousands more were placed into permanent homes within asylums, even our own Arkham Asylum as you should well know Dr. Crane. The news reports said that a gang had something to do with the Flash, so I'm thinking that they held Net Runner hostage. It just wasn't in his cards to kill people."

Jonathan released the Rogue and leaned against a table. "What happened to the Net Runner after The Deadly Flash?"

Nygma shrugged. "Dunno. Metropolis police and Superman were tight lipped about the whole thing. I'm assuming they placed Net Runner into witness protection. I would have known if they jailed him because there would be reports on it but there is nothing."

"_I just recently moved to Gotham."_ Aura's words floated around in his head.

Jonathan closed his eyes in thought. "Do you know anything about the identity of Net Runner?"

Riddler spun in his chair while thinking. "For the first time, I know very little about him. The only thing I was ever able to find about someone being moved from Metropolis on the same night of the Flash's release was this." Nygma brought up a still from a security camera outside what appeared to be a police station. "This is Metropolis PD. That man right there is our very own Commissioner Gordon and that," Nygma pointed to a slim white haired figure. Their head was bowed and the massive wave of hair fell over their chest, obscuring any identifying features. "That must be Net Runner. Looks like the Commissioner may have moved him to Gotham City."

"Are you sure it is a man?" Jonathan asked quietly.

Nygma shrugged. "It could be a woman. The long hair is more apt to being for females but with no definitive evidence I'll keep assuming that Net Runner is a male."

"Just can't think a woman would be able to pull a fast one over you huh?" Jonathan teased.

Riddler glared at him. "Do not think I won't kill you Crane!"

Jonathan laughed at the idle threat of his fellow Rogue. "What can you tell me about Aura Warren?"

Riddler smiled devilishly up at the icy eyes regarding him with annoyance. "Aura Warren? Is that the target of your obsession? Are you trying to make her into a new experiment or play toy for the safe house?"

Jonathan slipped a hand into his pocket, noticing the green eyes following the motion. Riddler straightened in his chair. "What business I have with this girl is mine alone."

"Alright, let's see. Aura Warren," he clicked away on his keyboard, bringing up various screens. "let's see. There she is. Hmm, that's odd."

"What is it, Nygma?" Jonathan came to his side and looked at the screen.

"Everything that has to deal with Aura Warren is sealed and confidential by the Justice League."

Jonathan sighed in frustration. "Can you hack into them?"

"Give me a second." Edward Nygma clicked into various screens, typing away like a maniac. "Damn it."

"What now?"

Riddler slammed his hands onto the keyboard, the vibration of the hit shaking Jonathan's grip on the computer desk. "Net Runner himself sealed the files. I can't break an encryption that strong."

A low laugh issued from Jonathan's throat. Nygma was fuming, staring murderously at the computer screen, no doubt trying to kill Net Runner through the monitor. He couldn't stand being shown up by a fellow hacker. Crane slipped from the computer room as a series of choice words were issued from the Rogue. He slipped into his car quickly his thoughts surrounding the still unsolved puzzle in his mind. _'What does Aura have to do with Net Runner?'_

_**'You don't think that she is Net Runner?'**_

_'No, maybe she is his sister or girlfriend? Maybe the Joker needs her to get Net Runner to make a virus. A virus I'm sure will cause a lot of people problems with living.'_

Scarecrow laughed darkly at the thought of murder. _**'The thug said that Aura is the Net Runner.'**_

_'Honestly how smart do you think the thugs that work for Joker are? He probably was over assuming her role in all of this.'_

_**'So what now Jonathan?'**_

The sun was peaking up over the horizon as Jonathan slid the car on the main thoroughfare of Gotham City. _'Now we go to work. I have some early morning sessions with patients before I have to go over to the courthouse for a trial.'_

Aura woke up with a splitting headache the next morning, happy that her own ceiling was over her bed instead of the sterile tiles of the hospital. The pain killers on the nightstand called softly to her and she obliged them. The side of her face was tender; her eye itself swollen and bruised. Aura slid off out of her bed. When she got home early that morning from the hospital she had thrown everything that belonged to Tony into the dumpster of the condo complex and then changed her bed sheets, throwing the old ones into the fireplace. Aura stumbled down the stairs and into the kitchen. She grabbed an apple and a glass of milk from the fridge. A firm knock sounded on her door.

Aura peeked into the peephole before opening the door widely. "Mr. Wayne, what are you doing here?"

Bruce Wayne stood on her front porch in an immaculate black suit and pink tie. He blushed slightly and Aura looked down, finally noticing her lavender, silk nightgown. "May I come in?"

Aura smiled and stepped aside. Bruce entered and waltzed into her small living room, sitting in the center of her white sofa. "Would you like some coffee, Mr. Wayne?"

Bruce patted the sofa beside him and Aura sat. "Commissioner Gordon called me late last night to let me know you were in the hospital. I went to check on your first thing this morning but they told me you already were released." He gently used two fingers to move her head to the side so he could look at her bruised face. "How are you feeling?"

Aura sighed and sipped her milk. "It looks worse than it is. Why would Gordon call you?"

Bruce shrugged, resting his arm on the back of the couch behind Aura and turning to face her more. "You don't have any family in the city and I'm the closest person to you. He assumed I would like to know about your well being."

Aura smiled graciously at his concern. She leaned forward, aware of his eyes on her chest, and grabbed the remote. Aura was aware of Bruce's playboy ways and had in the past denied going to dinner with him, firmly believing that dating within the workplace only caused problems. The morning news was in the middle of a story when it popped onto the television. _'This is Jack Ryder on the scene infront of Mike's Pub and Brewery in downtown Gotham. Residents were treated to a shocking sight in this normally quite neighbor. A body, who is know known to be Tony Byron, was discovered to be strung up on the building's face. Last night Byron was involved in a domestic assault and arrested though hours later made bail and was released to two known gang members. Commissioner Gordon was not available to issue a statement on why Byron was allowed to leave the police station with known gang members but I can tell you something smells rotten. Customers of the bar say that Byron was angry at his girlfriend for talking with other men and struck her across the face before being arrested. Now the body has been removed from the building as soon as the first calls came into the emergency department but not before we were able to obtain photos of the gruesome scene. As you will plainly see it appears that the infamous new Gotham Rogue, Scarecrow, was the one who strung the body up for the citizens to see. It also appears that he left a message for residents of Gotham. We will warn you, the images are extremely troubling and not for children or the faint of heart.'_

An image of the large black man hung up infront of the bar flashed onto the screen. Hay was sticking out of his open shirt and there was a clear, carved message on his ebony flesh. "She is under my protection. She is mine." Aura quickly turned the television off as tears fell from her purple eyes. She was beginning to hyperventilate and Bruce quickly pulled her into his chest, holding her tightly. A strong hand rubbed her back in soothing circles and he shushed her, pleading for her to calm down. Wayne stared at a small statue behind them, ironically a scarecrow on a cross with a crow on his shoulder. He glared at it darkly. Aura began to quite down and Bruce pulled away.

"I'm sorry Mr. Wayne. This will sound stupid, but I didn't want something that awful to happen to Tony." she said softly.

Bruce smiled and held her face in his hands. "As much as I hate to say it, it looks like you have an admirer."

"The Scarecrow? That's comforting," she replied, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

Bruce laughed softly. "I am going to have someone come over and change the locks on your doors. Hopefully this Scarecrow doesn't know where you live but either way I will call Gordon and make him have an officer watch your house until Batman can apprehend that Rogue." Bruce made Aura look into his eyes. "If anything strange happens around here or anywhere you are, call Gordon and then call me. I mean it Aura, don't try to handle this on your own."

"Is Scarecrow that dangerous?" she asked, feeling stupid at her own question.

Bruce's face became solemn. "All of the Rouge's are dangerous and must never been taken lightly especially if they have issued a threat."

Aura said a soft goodbye to Bruce as his cell phone rung, calling him away to the office. He urged Aura to take the day off and she gladly accepted. A few hours later Aura couldn't take sitting around the house anymore. The walls felt like they were closing in on her and she needed to get out. Shopping may just take her mind off of things. Pulling out her phone she flipped open her bank account and sighed deeply. The move to Gotham and getting her condo furnished had drained her bank account and pay day wasn't for another few days. She chuckled darkly and pulled out a long chain of a silver necklace she wore that contained a tiny charm in the shape of an Egyptian obelisk. She pulled the bottom of the pillar to reveal the prong of a plug. She popped it into her phone and after a few seconds a new screen was displayed. A little woman in a robber's ski mask ran across the screen before her home menu appeared. She clicked into a few different windows in order to turn on the program that would allow her access to a local bank. Within a few seconds she had found an account of an older man, Maroni. That would do perfectly; he wouldn't miss a few thousand dollars. Aura quickly made the transfer to her secure account knowing that no matter how hard he tried, it could never be traced or reversed. Smiling to herself she replaced the pillar around her neck and went to get dressed. It felt good to allow herself to be The Net Runner again, even if it was only for a few minutes.

Edward Nygma smiled with glee as he watched the Gotham Bank's transaction log. A large sum of money was just transferred from Maroni's account into a secure account with no name and no way to trace the owner. He clapped his hands and picked up his personal cell phone, dialing the number labeled Fear. A few seconds ticked by before Jonathan Crane picked up.

"What is it Nygma? I told you never to call me while I'm at work." the dark Rogue hissed quietly into the phone.

"Is that anyway to talk to a hero?"

Crane scoffed and growled into the phone. Edward smirked as he knew Scarecrow was now present. "What do you want Eddy? Need me to make a house call for treatment?"

Nygma laughed nervously. "I have a riddle you will just love to hear."

Scarecrow growled into the phone. A few tense minutes passed before the more calm and composed voice came back. Crane softly spoke, enunciating his words, "This better be good, Nygma, or I will let the other one use you for his new formula."

A shutter went down his spine and even though he only wore his question mark boxers in his warm room, he felt a cold breeze blow on him. "Riddle me this," he started, pausing to clear his throat to try to steel his own quavering voice. "What is used both to catch a scaly meal and to gather information from thousands of miles away?"

Crane sighed loudly, losing patience. "A net...you found the Net Runner?"

Edward silently cursed at his new friend's intellect. "Well our Net Runner just struck and stole money from Maroni. I still cannot tell you anything about our little friend accept that they are indeed in Gotham City."

Jonathan laughed coldly causing Edward to shutter a second time. "You are my hero, Nygma. If you find anything else out just call me."

Joker screamed out as he finished watching the afternoon news. The idiot he sent out to cozy up to that girl failed him and, to make matters worse, that Scarecrow was now trying to get involved. One of his henchmen slinked into the room, trying to go unnoticed. The Rogue turned on him, his grin widening. "What have you got for me, Smiley?"

The man seemed to visibly cower. "The woman, Net Runner, was just seen leaving her condo. Looks like she is headed to the Gotham Mall."

Joker took out his gun and pointed it to the man's forehead. "Well why are you still here? She is no use to me out there!"

The man started sweating profusely. "Sir! I was just waiting to let you know that the parents are in route."

Joker's smile widened further. "Excellent. Bring me Net Runner and be quick about it." Before the henchman could turn to leave Joker stuck his foot out tripping him. The Rogue jumped onto the man's chest and sat down. "Make sure you make a big scene about taking her. I want Scarecrow to know what I have. If we are lucky we can trap two birds with one throw. Well a bat and a Rogue at least. Now go, and bring her back alive and not too roughed up!" The Joker cackled loudly when he stood and the man crawled away quickly, all but crying as he left. "Soon Gotham will be bowing down to me as their King! As soon as I have Blackgate's and Arkham's residents behind me, nothing can stop the Joker Army and my little Aura will deliver Gotham to me!"


	4. Chapter 4

Bruce Wayne closed his eyes as he laid back in his desk chair. This morning had been unusually quiet without Aura here. A soft beep sounded from his monitor. The email attached was from the locksmith he hired earlier that morning to change all the locks on Aura's condo. "What do you mean she wasn't there?" Bruce asked the monitor. Narrowing his eyes at the screen, he reread the message. Quickly, he dialed Aura's number into his phone, waiting impatiently as the ringing continued.

Finally, after six rings the phone connected. "Hello, this is Aura Warren. How may I help you?"

"Aura? Are you alright?" he asked quickly.

"Mr. Wayne?" Aura laughed softly. There was a lot of noise in the background, signaling she was in a public place. "Yes I am fine. I just had to get out of the house for awhile. Is everything okay Mr. Wayne?"

Bruce cleared his throat and relaxed slightly. "Everything is fine. The locksmith I ordered for you said that you were not home when he got there."

Aura sighed. "Oh, I completely forgot about that. I'm sorry Mr. Wayne."

"You know you shouldn't be out with that warning from Scarecrow still so fresh." Bruce chastised her.

Aura was quiet for a few minutes. "Yeah I know Mr. Wayne. I'll head home in a few minutes."

Bruce checked his watch. "Actually, why don't we meet for dinner? Its about time for me to leave here anyway."

"Oh well, um," Aura began.

"Common Aura, we are friends after all. Where are you?" Bruce kept a firm but friendly tone in his voice.

"I'm at the Gotham Mall." Aura stated softly. Bruce chuckled at her tone, he knew that she was embarrassed easily. Every time he had tried to ask her out to dinner before she would turn a bright red and was always ready with a lame excuse, though lately she was running out of them.

He thought for a few moments. "I can be there in twenty minutes. There is a new french cafe around the corner from the mall we could try out."

Aura agreed and they hung up. Bruce quickly grabbed the keys to his Lamborghini. Traffic slowed him down as he pulled onto the highway. Flipping on the radio he tuned onto the local news reports. _'This is Jack Ryder. Well folks if you are heading to the Gotham Mall I would suggest you turn around now. Seems like the Joker has some goons making a shopping spree and police have the building surrounded. There have been reports of gun shots but at this time there are no reported casualties.'_

Bruce flipped off the radio and pushed his way off the highway. Flipping a switch in his car started a soft beeping noise. He parked his car in a dark alley and jumped from it. Seconds later, the Batmobile careened down the street, screeching to a halt infront of the man. He jumped into the black vehicle switching it to autopilot. The armored vehicle began its way to the Gotham Mall as Bruce slipped into the familiar latex of his suit.

Doctor Jonathan Crane exited one of the interrogation rooms in the bowels of Arkham Asylum. The Mad Hatter was still babbling as he followed the Rogue and his surrounding security guards back to the elevator. He stood to the side of Aaron Cash. The large black man slammed his hand on the side of the rolling gurney that held the patient. "Stop your mumbling Tetch!"

Crane scoffed and pushed his glassed further up his nose. "He can't hear you. Jervis was sedated due to his violent outburst to the nurse drawing his blood."

Cash looked over his shoulder, nodding his head. "I can't see how you put up with these crazies Dr. Crane."

Crane smirked and followed the guard from the elevator. The other guards continued on their way with the patient to return him to the cell block. "The power of the mind over the body interests me, Mr. Cash. Locked up in here, all the patients have is their mind and if we take that from them what do they have left?"

Cash grabbed the coffee pot from the counter of the employee lounge they walked into, pouring himself a cup of the black gold. "Nothing," he stated simply.

Jonathan chuckled. "Not nothing Mr. Cash. They still have their fear to deal with. That is why I do what I do."

"To scare the shit out of these criminals?"

"No," he sighed irritated with the man infront of him, "to know where that fear comes from and to understand it. I have hopes to be able to control their fear more so that maybe we can help them come to terms with the world and be able to be released one day."

Cash poured a second cup. "Good luck with that Doc. The only thing that would help these people is Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson."

Jonathan watched as the muscled security guard disappeared from the door, leaving him alone in the lounge. His eyes glanced up at the caged television in the corner. Some news reporter was standing infront of the Gotham Mall. A shot of the Batman crashing into the roof flashed onto the screen and Crane laughed. _'Looks like someone is going to have a bad night.'_

**_'Just one more patient for our experiments Jonny. Looks like we will be busy tonight.'_** Scarecrow laughed maniacally.

Jonathan shook his head. Just as he was about to turn away another picture on the news report caught his attention. Two of Joker's goons were being lifted up into the Joker's helicopter with a woman in their arms. A woman with white hair. _'Net Runner? Is that Aura?'_ Jonathan approached the screen trying to make out the pixelated features of the woman struggling in the henchman's grasp. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out his cell, dialing the last number that called him.

An annoyingly smug voice answered, "You've got The Riddler! What can I help you with Jonny?" The Rogue made a sound close to that of the hoot of a monkey before continuing to talk. "Let me guess! You're watching the news and saw our fellow Rouge's clowns carrying a white haired female!"

Jonathan dug his nails into the palm of his free hand, trying desperately to suppress the annoyance of not only himself but Scarecrow. "At least we know that Net Runner is a female."

Riddler scoffed, his voice dropping down to a dangerously low growl. "That might not be Net Runner."

Crane laughed. "Keep telling yourself that lie, you might start believing it," he joked.

"I doubt you called just to banter with me about the news. What do you need Jonny?"

Something snapped in Jonathan. "Listen here you green clad freak! Stop calling me Jonny or I swear you will learn what true fear means!" For the first time in a very long while, Scarecrow and Jonathan were one and the same person. "I will hunt you down and show you the meaning of true fear and leave you in a puddle of your own blood."

The Riddler laughed nervously. "Alright, alright. I get it. Fear the Scarecrow if I know what is good for me." Jonathan breathed deeply, returning to his calm demeanor. "No need to start a war between us Rouges. I like you too much, Crane, to kill you, yet."

Crane took a final deep breath and reopened his icy eyes. "I need you do me a favor."

Nygma clucked his tongue. "And what would that be?"

"Can you find the phone number for someone?"

"Cell phone or...you know what it doesn't matter. I can find anyone I want to," he responded smugly.

"Except Net Runner," Jonathan stated flatly.

Riddler screamed a few curse words at him and Jonathan had to pull the phone away from his ear. When the line quieted, he replaced the phone. "Do you want my help or not, _Jonny?_"

Crane growled, Scarecrow laughing in his head. **_'You did deserve that my friend.'_**

_'Enough from you!'_ He returned his attention to the phone. "I need you contact Aura Warren and find out if that is her in the chopper."

Riddler was quiet for a few minutes, surprising even Crane. "You want me to contact your girlfriend to make sure she's safe? Why don't you call her?"

Crane scoffed. "Just do it and call me back," he growled, ending the call.

Aura slipped from the entrance of the mall running with the crowd around her. The Joker's chopper overhead retreated into the night. A police officer with a blow horn stood on the sidewalk, shouting over the crowd. "Anyone with information on the victim needs to report to the front of the food court to make a statement!"

Aura stopped a short distance away from the mall to catch her breath. She could feel the cold sweat sliding down her forehead. It felt like the energy in her legs was all but spent as she willed herself to keep walking. The front of the food court was calmer as the officers talked quietly with mall patrons. She spotted a familiar brunette and headed in his direction. "Commissioner Gordon!"

Gordon shooed the officer he was talking to away as Aura approached him. "Aura! You weren't in that mess were you?"

Aura stopped beside the older man and leaned against his car for support. Her body was shaking and she was starting to feel nauseous. "Yeah, right in the middle of it. I saw everything."

Gordon unlocked his car and helped Aura ease into the seat. She let her legs dangle out of the door and Gordon disappeared into his trunk. When he returned he handed her a bottle of cold water. Pulling out a small notepad from his pocket he knelt in front of her. "Alright Aura. Tell me what you saw."

Aura took a deep breath. "Well I just got off the phone with Mr. Wayne when I heard gunshots. Someone ran into the store I was in saying that some of Joker's henchmen were storming into the mall. He said that they were looking for someone. Me and the other people in the store ran into the back room intending to leave out of the back entrance of the store. But as soon as we got out into that back alley of the mall where all the stores connect to the employee entrance some goon crashed through the door. He held a gun out and corralled us back into the mall. Some guy he called Smiley came over and and looked over us. There was this young teenager next to me with white hair that they grabbed and started asking her questions. The girl was so scared."

She took a swig of water before continuing. "One of the other henchmen started screaming that the Batman was coming. Smiley shouted into his walkie-talkie and the glass above us shattered. Some big heavy metal ladder dropped from that chopper and the man grabbed the poor girl. They disappeared through the top of the mall." She sighed. "I think the girl's name was Tara? She worked at the candle shop."

Gordon nodded taking his time writing it down. "Don't worry Batman will get her back safe and sound." He dropped his voice, shifting a little closer to her. "Were they after you Aura?"

Aura looked into the man's brown eyes. "They were after Net Runner and unfortunately they grabbed the wrong girl." She sighed and looked over to the mall. "I just don't understand how they found out that I was here."

"It is just a good thing that you were wearing your wig." Gordon patted her shoulder softly and summoned an officer over. They spoke quietly amongst themselves before Gordon turned back to her. "Look I don't think they were following you from your house."

"They were," a gravely voice called from the shadows. Batman stepped forward, staring right at Aura. "They were tipped off by the officer Gordon stationed outside your condo. Apparently Joker had been paying Rico to report all of Aura's movements. This is the recording from Rico's phone that has him talking to the Joker."

Gordon looked dumbfounded. Batman handed him a small disc. "How could Rico know about Aura? No one but me, you, and Wayne know about her past."

"That I have not been able to figure out, but someone in this city knows about Net Runner."

Aura slipped from the car and stood beside Gordon, staring at the Dark Knight. "What about my parents? If Joker is after me, what is stopping him from going after them?"

"You parents are well hidden far away from here and Metropolis," he simply replied.

Aura tapped her foot in annoyance. "Don't you see? Whoever held me in Metropolis has obviously helped the Joker find out about me! The bald man knew my name!" Tears were threatening to run down Aura's face.

Gordon placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Aura, I will contact the authorities and have them check on your parents." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Look, I suggest that you try to calm down, there is nothing we can do right now. Is there a friend you can stay with for a few days? At least until we can get the Joker apprehended."

They both looked up as the Batman turned his back on them, his cape swooshed behind him. "That would be wise. I will find the Joker as soon as I can so you can return to the safety of your home."

Aura nodded as he disappeared into the shadows. Gordon sighed and looked down at her. "Did you drive here?" When she shook her head, Gordon motioned to his car. "I'll take you home and wait until you have a friend come and pick you up."

They drove in silence back to her condo. Gordon said that Rico was already behind bars for his connection with the kidnapping and Aura was glad. Suddenly she remembered her date with Bruce Wayne. She reached into her purse as Gordon pulled into the heavy evening traffic. After a few rings Bruce picked up. "Hey Mr. Wayne. I'm sorry I have to cancel our dinner tonight."

"I heard about the shoot out at the mall. Aura are you okay?" he asked, concern filling his voice.

"Yeah I'm fine. Gordon thinks that those men were after me so we're on our way to pick up some stuff from my condo. He thinks I should stay with a friend for a few days."

Bruce sighed in relief. "I'm happy that you are okay Aura, I would hate for you to be dragged into another awful situation like before." A few seconds ticked by before he continued. "Do you have anywhere to go?"

"Not yet. I haven't asked anyone yet."

Bruce's voice rose slightly. "Then I must insist that you stay with me Aura."

Quickly Aura responded, her voice higher than she intended. "Oh no Mr. Wayne! I would not want to impose on you like that."

Bruce shushed her. "Nonsense Aura. I have plenty of room for you and you won't be a bother at all. Hell, Alfred would be delighted for me to bring a girl home who has half a brain."

She laughed nervously. "Mr. Wayne..."

He interrupted her with a tone of finality in his voice. "Aura, you can't tell me one reason that this would be a bad idea. Wayne Manor is one of the most secure buildings in Gotham next to Wayne Enterprises. I have plenty of room. I keep weird hours at night so you probably won't even run into me most of the time. It would be like staying in a hotel complete with the best room service you could ever imagine."

Aura sighed in defeat. "Alright Mr. Wayne. I will take you up on the offer."

"Excellent. I will swing by your condo and pick you up. Tell Gordon for me."

Aura hung up her phone and laughed softly. After she told Gordon he had agreed with Bruce's logic. Shortly after that they arrived at her house and Aura walked into the front entrance of her condo, Gordon following close behind. She left him downstairs as she went to pack for her extended stay away from home. As she was pulling clothes into her bag, her phone rang again. Without looking at the number on her phone she answered. "Mr. Wayne?"

A happy voice sounded on the other end. "Hello Miss Warren. I've heard a lot of good things about you."

Aura's brows furrowed in confusion. "Who is this?"

The man laughed softly. "How are you doing Aura? Do you mind me calling you that? No?" She didn't respond and he continued. "We have a mutual friend that asked me to call you and make sure you were alright."

"Mutual friend?"

He sighed in irritation. "Common Aura keep up. Are you currently surrounded by clowns?"

Aura laughed softly. "Clowns? No. The only clown around here is on the phone with me."

"I'm not a clown; I'm a Prince." he stated smugly.

"A Prince of what? Who is this?" she asked trying to control the sudden apprehension in her voice.

"A Prince of Puzzles my dear. Our mutual friend asked me to call, like I said. He was worried that you might have been taken by some less than jolly clowns, but as I have deduced you are fine."

Aura laughed nervously. "So your highness," she replied playing along, "are you going to tell me who you are and who our mutual friend might be?"

A soft laugh echoed into the phone. "Both you will have to figure out yourself. You can call me Mr. E and about our mutual friend: Riddle me this. It has a long neck, a name of a bird, feeds on cargo of ships, it's not alive. Solve this and you will know our friend's name."

The line went dead as Aura zipped her bag. She sat back against her the edge of her bed as she thought of the puzzle and the man who gave it to her. She shrugged off the man on the phone as just someone that must have drawn the short end of a straw and was just doing his friend a favor. The riddle sounded in her head again and suddenly her eyes opened wide. "A Crane? Jonathan Crane?"

Gordon called up to her from downstairs. Picking up the two suitcases, she pulled them downstairs and came face to face with Bruce Wayne. He smiled and took her bags from her. "Good evening Aura!"

Jonathan Crane paced in his office at Arkham, nervously awaiting the Riddler's call. As soon as his phone rang he picked it up. "Nygma?"

The Riddler laughed at his impatience. "Did you miss me Jonny?"

Crane growled dangerously. "I think that house call is becoming more and more real."

Nygma laughed louder. "Is that anyway to talk to your buddy? I'm not even charging you for this asinine favor of yours. And I haven't asked you one riddle!"

Jonathan sighed and sank into his chair, rubbing his temple with his free hand. He slipped his glasses off and dropped them on his desk. "And I am very thankful for that fact."

"Anyway, that girl in the chopper wasn't your little hen. She sounded perfectly peachy though I think she was expecting a call from Bruce Wayne."

His blood ran cold and he could feel the Scarecrow stirring. _**'What is she doing with another man?'**_

_'Relax she works for Wayne. Probably just a work related call.'_

_**'This late at night? Think with your head Jonny. There is only one reason that a man would call this late at night.'**_ The Scarecrow clawed at his mind, begging to be let loose. **_'She is mine Jonathan. I cannot allow another man to lay his hands on her.'_**

_'Ours, Scarecrow. Aura is ours.'_ Jonathan refocused on the phone in his hands as the Riddler was humming the jeopardy theme song. "Thank you for your help Riddler. I can take it from here."

"About time you got out of your head Crane. Let me know if you need anything else though I'm going to have to start charging you!" Nygma hung up after giving him a quick laugh.

Aura followed Bruce Wayne through his huge house to what he said would be her room. When the door opened her jaw almost hit the floor. The room was immaculate, complete with an ivy covered lattice surrounding her own balcony. Bruce pointed to a small table in the corner that had a silver covering over it. He said that when she was done with her dinner she could just leave the plate there and Alfred, whom she had met earlier, would retrieve it later. Bruce left her to settle in shortly after that. Aura stared at her phone after she put her belongings away. The man from earlier still lingered in her mind. Jonathan Crane had asked him to call her, but why? When she closed her eyes she could still see the ghostly image of his blue eyes staring at her. Sighing deeply she pulled her obelisk from around her neck and brought up her menu screen. She swept through a few screens until she found one that would allow her to retrace the blocked number Mr. E had used. Once the number appeared she pressed the dial button.

A few rings later the phone connected. "Hello?"

"Mr. E I presume?" Aura stated calmly.

"There is only one person that could possibly trace my phone and return my call, Aura." he started vehemently.

Aura took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She knew who she was dealing with after she hacked into his mainframe to call his phone back. "That's right Riddler. I'm back."

"Net Runner," he spat out. "Never thought I would figure out who you were."

Aura laughed softly. "I had intended for you to never find out."

The Riddler returned her cold laugh. "Then why give yourself up and call me? Can it be the great Net Runner needs something from the Prince of Puzzles?"

"Mr. E was cute by the way I got a good chuckle out of it." Aura stepped out onto her balcony and looked over the rolling backyard of Wayne Manor. "I want him to meet me."

"Who?"

"Jonathan Crane, the man who asked you to call me."

Riddler was silent for a few minutes. "So you figured out the riddle? I underestimated you Net Runner." Aura didn't respond to him as she watched Wayne climb into his car and drive away. "Why do you want Crane?"

"I want to talk to him."

"About?"

"That is none of your concern."

Riddler growled. "You do realize you are dealing with a Rogue right?"

Aura smiled. "I am not afraid of you Riddler. If I wanted I could have the cops at your safe house within minutes, but I'm not that mean. Especially since we can help each other."

"And what would you do for me?"

"Besides keep your location a secret? I could offer you a lot of services in exchange for the small favor you will do for me."

"I want your tech."

She laughed darkly. "I will never hand over Isis so get over it." Aura fingered her obelisk as she talked. "But I can help facilitate your next heist if you so choose."

"Hmm...The great Net Runner would be in my debt then?" he asked, interest leaking from his voice.

"Yes, so whenever you need help I can do just that."

"Alright, so what do you want me to tell Crane?" he asked, happy and giddy once again.

"Just convince him to be at the cafe where we first met tomorrow afternoon at three." Aura looked down on the grounds, the autumn fireflies were coming out and dotting the dark air.

"That's all?" Riddler smacked his hand down on something hard. "Alright I'll make the date then."

Aura smiled as she hung up on The Riddler. Memories fluttered into her mind. Riddler used to be her favorite play toy. She would steal files on his computer to ruin his heists. She would also leave little presents in his documents so that when he opened them they would load viruses into his computer that would wipe his hard drive and corrupt all of his equipment. Once she even was able to access the small computer in his car and take over his driving. She drove him around Gotham at one hundred miles an hour, changing the lights in all the intersections so he would barely get through before almost hitting someone else. Aura's smile faltered as she realized that her actions also meant something much bigger: now another Gotham Rogue was aware of her presence in the city. Further more, how did Jonathan Crane know the Riddler?


	5. Chapter 5

Jonathan lay back in his bed, the wet towel still wrapped around his slim waist. The conversation he had with Edward Nygma repeated in his mind. Scarecrow laughed, giddy like a schoolboy. _**'Nygma finally proves himself useful.'**_

_'Calm yourself, there has to be a second meaning to his words.'_ Jonathan warned his darker one.

Scarecrow growled darkly to him. _**'Nygma said that Aura has plans to be at that cafe tomorrow afternoon. It would be the perfect chance for us to see her again, to touch her.'**_ Jonathan tried to block out the mental images that flashed through his mind. Violet eyes looking at him longingly as he lowered himself on top of her, slipping his hard shaft inside of her. Scarecrow laughed as Jonathan unconsciously stroked himself under the towel. _**'Do you not see yourself Jonny? You want her and we have the perfect chance to take her. We could easily sedate her and...'**_

_'And what? If we sedate her and bring her back here unwillingly, how far do you think we would get? She would be terrified of us. She would never again give me that meaningful, curious look. Aura would shun us at every touch.'_ Jonathan shook his head, his hand still busying itself. _'We must treat her differently, Scarecrow, if we are to make her ours.'_

Scarecrow fell silent as Jonathan reached his peak of pleasure. A few moments later he cleaned himself off, throwing the towel to the ground beside his bed. _**'I need to feed Jonathan.'**_

Jonathan sighed as he felt the darker one's need growing. _'I will let you out on two conditions: one is you don't do anything that could potentially draw the Batman and two you do not approach Aura.'_

The Scarecrow agreed silently and Jonathan closed his eyes to relinquish control. He slipped into the dark recesses of his own mind as the Rogue came forward, taking his flesh for his own. Within moments Scarecrow rose from the bed and dawned his new costume, stitched brown pants with a brown cloth covering his groin. The cowl covered his shoulders and head, the matching stitching covering the brown fabric, hiding the mask underneath. They had made a new mask. Burlap with stitching down the middle, his gas mask's filters visible underneath. The mask was still secured to his neck by his signature noose. Tight forearm guards matched the brown of the rest of his outfit. One of his hands had a new device of his own design: a machine that would feed syringes that were secured like a glove, one on every finger. With each needle he could deliver a liquid form of his fear formula straight into his victims veins. He had the ability to remove the gauntlet quickly, securing it onto his lower back if he needed both hands for a fight. Scarecrow left his pistol behind, choosing instead to bring his favorite scythe with him this night. A wickedly sharp blade with a smooth black edge. The handle itself was made of polished cherry oak, treated to be just as strong as metal. Scarecrow shouldered his scythe in a small hook that would hold it for him, choosing to start his night bare handed.

The darkness of the night swallowed him as he disappeared into the alleys of Gotham City. He always went on foot, starting from Jonathan's home in a quiet suburb and going out closer into the city limits themselves. Two hours into his venture he came across a lonely woman, hurrying home from her late night shopping trip. Scarecrow followed her into a dark alley. Like a lamb to the slaughter the woman trudged on, oblivious to the danger right behind her. Scarecrow slipped his hand into his glove, playing the metal against the brick of a nearby building. The scratching noise caused the woman to pause in her walk. She listened closely for any noise, her blonde hair being pushed away from her ears. Scarecrow quickly scrambled up a nearby fire escape, dropping to the ground in front of her. The groaning of the rusted metal caused the woman to gasp loudly.

Suddenly she broke out into a run right towards her pursuer. Scarecrow finally stepped out into a small patch of light, coming from a single bare bulb beside a heavy metal door. The woman froze as she looked into his mask. She made no noise as the fear froze the sound in her throat but began to back away slowly. The gauntlet had been returned to its holder and Scarecrow had drawn his scythe. Using his left hand he reached into a small pocket sown onto his pants and withdrew a canister. Pressing the top down he tossed it to the woman and the aerosol spread like a cloud of smoke around her body. The woman fell to her knees as her terror gripped her. Scarecrow lunged forward, taking a great handful of the woman's blonde curls into his tight grasp. She screamed louder as undoubtedly his mask transformed into grotesque images she had never before seen. He laughed maniacally. The scythe flashed out and sliced up her body.

"Now, that is better dear," he whispered, cooing the woman. The slice of his weapon had torn the woman's dress from her body. The blade had bit into her skin slightly, drawing a small amount of blood from her stomach. The screaming ceased as her mind began to fail her, the mind could only take so much. Scarecrow growled in disgust at the woman's dying form. "That was disappointing," he scowled as she collapsed, her heart failing under the stress of her own fear.

Scarecrow returned his staff to its holder and pulled the small phone from his pocket. Jonathan had been quiet, like normal. He never interfered when the Scarecrow was hunting unless the Batman became involved. Even then Jonathan would help him escape but not take back over their shared body. Before dialing the phone, Scarecrow made sure that Jonathan had buried himself in their mind. He was currently reliving the memory of Aura's first conversation and Scarecrow smiled as those violet eyes flashed in his own vision. He pressed send on the phone and tried to wait patiently.

"Crane? Do you have any idea what time it is?" Riddler moaned as he yawned loudly.

"Not Crane, Scarecrow." he stated simply.

The Riddler seemed to snap awake at the sound of Scarecrow's dark growl, further enhanced by the gas mask. "What do you want Scarecrow?"

Scarecrow laughed. The Rogue was terrified of him whether or not he wanted to admit it. Nygma had met with his fear gas once before and barely lived to tell the tale. If Batman had not interfered, Nygma would have made a good experiment indeed. "Tell me Aura Warren's address."

Riddler could be heard shifting in his bed. The awakening tone of a laptop sounded softly in the background followed by furious typing. "978 Hillpoint Court. Are you planning on claiming her Scarecrow?"

"That is none of your concern Riddler. Just be glad I am not heading to your lair tonight." Scarecrow added a dark laugh at the end of his words.

Riddler chuckled nervously. "Wait before you go!" Scarecrow remained silent as he waltzed away from his victim. "Does Jonathan know what you are about to do?"

"Does it matter? Jonathan has no control over me. He just likes to think he does." Scarecrow ended his call and replaced the flat device back into his pocket. He checked one last time to make sure Jonathan was preoccupied before dashing down the alley. Aura's home would be a good two hour run but Scarecrow was not worried. He liked the freedom of the darkness and morning was so far away. As he approached the gate of the complex he laughed to himself. Scarecrow easily lifted his body over the brick wall surrounding the condos within and slipped into the shadows of the closest building. Aura's home would be at the very back of the buildings and Scarecrow quickly made his way there. A great Dawn Redwood offered him the perfect access to a second story window. He pushed on the glass and it lifted without any hesitation, Aura had forgotten to lock her window. Silently he lift himself into the dark room, shutting the window behind him. The dark welcomed him, his eyes adjusting quickly to the room. The bed before him had a white covering. Reaching out he felt along the bed carefully but it was empty. Before he had climbed into the condo he had made it a point to look into the lower windows but all of them proved empty. With no other lights on in the house he knew that Aura was not home.

Anger overcame him as the thought of her out in another man's arms crossed his mind. He flipped on a light and the crimson walls of the room softly reflected it. Scarecrow removed his mask and threw it onto the bed. Moving over to the dresser he rifled through her drawers, taking extra care to go through the undergarments and nighties. With a devilish smile he entered her bathroom and knelt on the floor before a pile of dirty clothes. He found the item he was looking for, a pair of dark orange lace panties. With a great inhale, he smelled the delicate fabric and with a smile pushed them into his pocket. Jonathan was sure to try and punish him for his actions but Scarecrow did not care. He was close to his Aura right now. Scarecrow trotted down the stairs, careful not to make a sound on the hardwood floor of the home. He crept into the living room and allowed his eyes to adjust to the gloom again but like he saw when he was outside, the home was empty. He flipped on the light in the room and let his eyes roam over the furniture. The movies in her cabinet made him chuckle. A wide variety of horror and thriller titles glared up at him.

When he turned around a statue in the corner caught his eye. Upon approaching it his breath caught in his throat. _**'This is a sign,'**_ he thought, softly so as not to alert his partner. His thin fingers gingerly stroked the carved white marble of the statue. A scarecrow hung on his cross with a small crow on his shoulder looked up at him. Scarecrow glanced over to the table in the kitchen and saw a small plastic bag. He swiped the bag and eased the statue into it. The light flipped off as Scarecrow returned to the bedroom upstairs. He placed the statue beside the window, leaning his scythe against the wall. There was still one more thing he wanted to do before he left. He stood at the foot of her bed and crawled onto the soft white blankets. When he laid down on the bed his face was buried into the pillow that had Aura's strong orange scent in its soft fabric. Scarecrow rolled on the bed a few times, careful to make sure that his gauntlet did not rip the blanket. When he was satisfied that his scent thoroughly soaked the bed, he got up. He reached a hand into a second pouch on his hip and pulled out his older mask. The plain burlap sack he had used for so long at Arkham glowered up at him. He gently placed it on the pillows. Before retreating from the window he made sure to grab his items and with a final look around the room, he slipped in to the darkness of the night.

Jonathan awoke the next morning, sprawled out on the dark black blankets of his bed. The Scarecrow had not bothered to change from their costume he saw when he sat up. Something on his dresser caught his eyes. Sitting beside their new syringe gauntlet was a white statue of a scarecrow. Jonathan chuckled at it, shaking his head. _'I see you picked up an idol of yourself while you were out,'_ he teased his other. Scarecrow was strangely quiet but Jonathan chalked it up to him resting from his ventures the night before. Jonathan stood and stretched his arms above his head, cracking his back as he did so. His muscles were always tense after Scarecrow took full control of his body but over the years he became used to the feeling of his tired muscles. When his hands slammed down to the sides of his hips a soft lump caught his attention. Slipping a hand into the pocket he pulled out a dark orange pair of lace panties. Jonathan stared at it questioningly before realization dawned on him. He quickly slammed his bedroom door open and jogged down the hall to a secured door. The room beyond he designed to be a holding cell of his safe house for a guest he intended to use for his personal gain. He input a code into the panel and the door sprang open but the room beyond was empty.

Clutching the lace in his hand tightly he sought out the Scarecrow in his mind. _'What did you do with Aura?'_ Jonathan screamed into his head.

A lazy, slow draw of someone just being awakened sounded. _**'Do not fret Jonny, I did nothing to our Aura. I went to her home but she was not there.'**_

"She wasn't there?" he question aloud. _'Where could she be?'_

**_'That is for you to find out when you see her this afternoon.'_** Scarecrow yawned in his head. **_'Enjoy my gifts that I brought you: her statue and garment. Maybe they will draw you into action we can both enjoy more.'_**

The Scarecrow retreated further into his mind to rest. Jonathan returned to his room and stripped from his costume. The safe behind his hanging suits opened after he inputted his code and he placed his Rogue costume and weapon into it. The scythe was returned to its place behind a tall dresser inside the closet, the darkness consuming the dark weapon. Jonathan strolled back into his room. The cold air caused him to quicken his pace to the bathroom. The water heated quickly but before he stepped inside he picked the lace gift back up. Jonathan closed his eyes as he brought the fabric up to his nose. He moaned out her name softly before entering the shower. It took him longer than it normally did to clean himself off as he became preoccupied with his thoughts and cock. When he arrived at Arkham later that morning, he seemed to be happier for later that day he would surprise Aura.

Aura sighed deeply as she entered Bruce's office. The handsome man waved his hand to usher her in as he hung up his phone. Aura took a seat in one of the plush leather chairs infront of the large desk. "Aura, it is so good to see you smile again. Oh before I forget I am getting the latest model of your phone on the way home tonight. If you give me your older one I will be sure have all of your pictures and contacts switched to the new one."

Aura nodded and placed her phone on the desk. "Thanks I love getting new technology." She bit her lower lip as she looked at her boss. "I came to ask you a favor Mr. Wayne."

"Aura, you can call me Bruce." His smile widened as he leaned back in his chair. "What can I do for you?"

"Well I was hoping I could leave a little early today, I'm supposed to be meeting a friend for lunch." Aura felt her heart beating fast. The potential meeting with Jonathan Crane coming closer was making her excited and nervous.

Bruce's smile faltered for a second. "Do you think that is wise? Joker and Scarecrow are still out there."

Aura nodded and slumped her shoulders. "I know but I won't be alone and it won't be for more than a few hours."

Bruce stroked his chin in thought. He reached into his pocket and withdrew his personal cell. "Alright but take my phone in case you need help. Call your number and I will answer your phone. If you can't reach me call Alfred or Gordon." Aura took the smartphone from his hand and slipped it into the pocket of her slacks. "Are you sure you will be okay?"

Aura rolled her eyes playfully. "I will be okay, I'm a big girl. Its just a short walk down the block and then I'll catch a taxi to the manor."

Bruce shook his head and threw the keys to his Lamborghini at her. She caught them with a slight squeak. "Take my car. I don't want you to walk out there alone." He shook his finger at her playfully. "Make sure you don't get into any accidents young lady and no boys in my car. I haven't even had the chance to christen my own vehicle."

Aura stuck her tongue out and laughed. "Bruce Wayne!" As she retreated from the office he threw a pad of post-it notes at her, calling after her to have fun. Aura rocked in her heels as she waited for the long ride down the elevator. He hands were in her pockets and she smiled as icy blue eyes flashed in her mind.

Smiley slowly limped down the dark hallway not eager to meet his bosses ire. The Batman had ruined everything the night before. As the chopper was pulling away from the mall the Dark Knight had grappled up to the bottom rails of the chopper. They had tried to shake the hero off but nothing had worked. Batman had swung himself up and into the chopper. Smiley and another henchman opened fire but the Bat had sent one of those Batarangs flying out at them, knocking their weapons away. While the other henchman engaged the caped crusader Smiley took the opportunity to don the only parachute. He grabbed the screaming white haired girl and jumped from the chopper. As they were falling gently with the extended chute he was able to watch as the chopper crashed and Batman glided down to a nearby building with the henchman and pilot in tow. When they landed, Smiley dragged the girl down the back alleys. The stupid woman kept screaming forcing him to knock her out. Batman tracked them down shortly after that and the last thing Smiley remembered was the feeling of a freight train slamming into him from above.

Joker growled for him to enter and with one last deep breath he entered. "Boss, look I tried but the Batman was there!"

Joker pointed a pistol at his head and Smiley froze. "I don't want excuses! I want my girl!"

"Boss, I tried but the green eyed bitch kept screaming and by the time I was able to shut her up the Bat found us!" Smiley felt his shoulders slump.

"Green eyed?" Joker stalked closer to him. "What did the girl look like?"

Smiley swallowed hard. "Slim and about five foot, two inches. She had the white hair that you said we would be able to pick out instantly and green eyes."

Joker slammed the butt of his gun into Smiley's temple, causing him to crash to the ground. Joker stood over top of him and Smiley could feel the barrel of the gun pressing into his forehead. "I told you a million times that Net Runner has purple eyes! Like a bruise!" Joker cackled, "You should be very familiar with bruises! Harley would have done a better job than you!"

Smiley felt tears streaming down his cheeks. "Boss I'm sorry! We were in a hurry that I didn't look at her eyes before we left!"

"Enough excuses." Joker pressed the barrel flush against his skin and pulled the trigger. Smiley took a sharp breath but the bullet never fired. Instead a hollow click sounded from the gun followed by Joker's maniacal laugh. "You are so disappointing Smiley, but I like you so I will give you one more chance."

Joker removed himself from Smiley's body and Smiley rolled over, kneeling down on all fours. He bowed his head to the Rogue. "Thank you Joker! You won't be disappointed again!"

"Go and find Net Runner, search around Wayne Industries since we know she works there. Drag her back here no matter what!" Joker cackled loudly as Smiley crawled from the Rouge's room.

Bruce flipped Aura's phone over in his hands and slid the backing from it. The bug he placed was still there so why was it not working anymore? He had been able to overhear her phone calls with Susan from programming, her hilarious singing while she cleaned her apartment, and her soft breathing when she slept. Nothing out of the ordinary had been recorded for the first few days that the bug was working. In fact the only thing that stood out to Bruce was the conversation with her friend. They had talked about a young man, Jonathan, she met in the bar the night of Tony's attack. Bruce had felt a slight pang of envy at the dreamy voice Aura used when talking about this man. After all, he had been trying to get Aura's affections for a long time now but she kept him at arm's length.

He sighed and looked up at the older man sitting across from him. "I just don't get Lucius. The bug was working fine up until about an hour before she left for the mall."

Lucius took the bug from his fingers, studying it closely. "Do you think she found it and destroyed it?"

Bruce shook his head. "There doesn't appear to be any damage to the bug, it just isn't working."

Lucius nodded. "That would mean she had to have used some electromagnetic pulse to disarm it, or.."

When he trailed off, Bruce locked eyes with him. "Or she used Isis and it disarmed it."

"Would Isis be able to do that?" Lucius asked, dropping the bug onto the desk.

Bruce sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I don't know. Without being able to study the technology she created, I cannot say for sure all of its capabilities. I just know that Superman and the Metropolis PD tried to bug her apartment once. As soon as she activated Isis all of them stopped working, including the security camera they placed in her bedroom so they could watch her computer."

Lucius frowned at his friend. "So what will you do now?"

Bruce smiled. "Well for the next couple of days she is staying with me. I suppose I will try to win over her trust and maybe she will let me take a look at Isis. Or at the very least I can find out where she keeps it. If I can get a hold of Isis, I can keep Joker and anyone else from abusing its power."

Aura parked the car in a private lot a block away from the cafe. She could feel her hands shaking as she took the coffee she ordered from the barista and settled into a quiet corner. Looking at the clock she realized that she was thirty minutes early. Aura laughed to herself softly and pulled Bruce Wayne's phone from her pocket. She had found the small bug that was placed into her phone before she left for the mall the day prior. At first she had been angry to discover the breach of privacy but slowly she realized that the person who placed it just wanted to ensure her safety. Well to say that Aura found the bug was incorrect, Isis did. When she activated the program a warning had come up as one of its sensors found an anomaly within the phone she was using. Aura had then slid the back of the phone off and the small bug came out into the light. She knew that if she crushed the bug the person who placed it would know that she destroyed it. Instead she activated Isis' security program that emitted a small range electromagnetic pulse from the hardware that it was hooked into. Aura was satisfied that the person would assume that the bug was faulty and stopped working.

She still didn't know who that person was: Commissioner Gordon, Bruce Wayne, Lucius Fox? All of these men had had ample time to slip the bug into her phone. So when Bruce asked for her phone this morning to "replace it with a new model," she knew that it was him. To say she was disappointed would have been incorrect. While Aura understood his reasoning for placing the device in her phone, the breach of her privacy was something she could not overlook. The cafe door chime sounded and Aura looked up, her breath catching in her throat.

Jonathan Crane casually let his eyes sweep over the small cafe. Aura was sitting in a private corner, far away from any other patron. Scarecrow moaned in his head as her violet eyes looked back at him. Jonathan flashed a warm smile at the woman but did not approach her. Instead he headed to the counter and ordered a coffee for himself. He directed the barista to make a second of the one Aura ordered so he had an excuse to approach her. As he waited, Jonathan closed his eyes trying to suppress the Scarecrow's desire to take Aura and lock her in their safe house.

Scarecrow screamed as he felt Jonathan pushing him back further and further in their mind. **_'Let me out! I have been waiting to see her again! She is close and I need her. We need her!'_**

_'Calm yourself Scarecrow. There would be nothing to gain from letting you out to terrorize her. Let me deal with Aura and I promise we will have her on our side and in our arms soon.'_ Jonathan quietly told his alter. Scarecrow quieted at his promise and slipped into the darkness of their mind.

With a smile Jonathan took the two drinks and made his way to the quiet, dark corner. Aura flashed him a perfect grin and slid to the side, allowing him to sit next to her on the small leather sofa. He handed her one of the cups in his hands and she took it with a smile. "It is a surprise seeing you here today, Miss Warren."

Aura blushed softly, looking away from him in embarrassment. Jonathan could feel Scarecrow clawing at his mind again, the Rouge's anger flaring. The dark bruise on her pale face a reminder of the night they met. _**'We didn't do enough to punish that animal.'**_

_'Do not worry Scarecrow. The bruise will fade in time and she will learn that she gained much more from it.'_ Jonathan gingerly reached out and stroked his fingertips on her cheek. Aura closed her eyes as he stroked her skin. She looked back at him when he stopped and laid a hand tenderly on her shoulder. "How are you doing after all that unpleasantness from the other night?"

Aura gave him a small smile and sipped her coffee. "Actually that is one reason I am happy to have ran into you today. I wanted to thank you for what you did at the bar."

Jonathan removed his hand and rested it on his leg as he gave her a confused look. "I did nothing Miss Warren."

Aura shook her head and reached out, placing her hand gently on top of his. Jonathan felt his heart skip a beat at the physical contact that she initiated willingly. He could feel Scarecrow's growing excitement at the attention Aura was showing them. With a quiet voice she spoke to them, "But you did a lot. Susan told me that you caught me when I fell and held me protectively so Tony could not hurt me anymore. That was very brave and it meant a lot to me to know that a man I barely knew was willing to put himself in harm's way for me." Aura squeezed his hand firmly. Jonathan curled his fingers around hers to return the grip. "I was hoping to run into you today so I could thank you."

Jonathan flashed his icy eyes up, locking them with her strange lavender ones. "You do not need to thank me Miss Warren."

"Aura," she spoke softly. "Please call me Aura, Jonathan."

Jonathan gripped her hand tighter when his name slipped from her mouth. "What else did you want to talk with me about Aura? You said that was one reason so what are the others?"

Aura blushed and slipped a slip of paper from her pocket, pressing it firmly into his hand. "I don't want to know how you know the Riddler, that's not my place. But it was sweet that you worried about me the other day." Jonathan furrowed his brows and looked down at the number on the paper. "This is my phone number if you feel the need to check up on me again."

Jonathan felt his breath quicken. The last thing he wanted was for Aura to think that he was checking up on her like she was incapable of taking care of herself. "Aura I didn't mean to impose or make you..."

He stopped as she held up her hand. "It was sweet and a little unexpected. Like I said its not my place to know how you know the Riddler, let alone why he would do you a favor, but that's not important. I like you Jonathan and I would like to be able to return the kindness that you have shown me."

Jonathan felt a blush creep onto his cheeks. He chuckled softly at his own embarrassment. "I would like that very much Aura."

Aura followed Jonathan from the cafe. They stood on the sidewalk outside and a chilly breeze blew around them. Aura clutched her bare shoulders, cursing herself for not bringing a jacket with her. The white, sleeveless blouse blew in the wind as the breeze continued. Suddenly a warmth enveloped her shoulders and she looked over at Jonathan. He had slipped out of his suit's coat and placed it gently on her shoulders. She flashed him a smile and laughed softly. "Look at you, doing it again."

Jonathan furrowed his brows and cocked his head to the side. "Doing what?"

Aura slipped her arms into his warm coat. "Being sweet when you don't have to."

Jonathan chuckled as they walked down the sidewalk. "You have been hanging out with the wrong type of men Aura. You deserve someone who cherishes and adores you."

Aura felt her face grow hot again. She glanced down at the slim man's hand swinging as he walked. Before she could think of a reason to stop herself, she reached down and interlaced her fingers with his. Jonathan tensed slightly with the new touch but quickly relaxed and tightened his grip on her hand. "Thank you Jonathan for showing me how a real gentleman should act."

When they reached the entrance to the parking garage, Aura stopped. Jonathan looked at the garage and then back to her. "Will you be all right from here on?"

Aura nodded. "Yeah, I'm staying with my boss for a few days since that Scarecrow incident with Tony's body." Aura had to be careful at remembering not to let it slip about Joker and her Net Runner ways.

"Terrible what happened to him huh?" Jonathan asked quietly.

It took Aura a few moments to respond as she thought about her own opinions on the matter. "He deserved it. At least now he can't hurt another woman."

"Does this Scarecrow threat worry you?" Jonathan's voice was barely a whisper.

Aura shrugged. "I really don't know what to think about it. Scarecrow is a Rogue but he said that I am under his protection. It just doesn't make sense. I suppose I should be scared that I have attracted his attention but more than anything I am grateful."

"Grateful?"

"Yeah. Grateful that I'm not on his bad side, at least not yet." Aura laughed softly. "Oh, here. Let me give you your coat back."

Jonathan held his hands out to stop her from shrugging out of the soft, expensive fabric. "Take it. I'm sure that you will give it back next time we meet."

Aura blushed but slid the coat back up her shoulders. "So there will be a next time?"

Jonathan turned to the side and chuckled softly. "I hope so. You're fun to talk to and I enjoy your company."

"Then until next time." Aura quickly stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips softly to his cheek. "Thank you Jonathan Crane for being a nice guy and showing me there is still good in Gotham."


	6. Chapter 6

"So that must be the famous Aura Warren? No wonder you are hiding her away from me." A smug voice called from the shadow of the side door to the cafe.

Scarecrow hissed darkly inside Jonathan's mind. It took a great deal of his will to keep the Rogue at bay. Scarecrow was getting stronger, bolder the closer they seemed to be getting to their Aura. Jonathan ignored the green clad Rouge's jest as he waltzed down the alley. Nothing could ruin the elation he was currently feeling. _'She kissed my cheek and she wants to meet us again!'_ A large smile was plastered on his face, the muscles straining from the unfamiliar usage. Riddler continued to follow him whistling like a maniac. As they approached Jonathan's car he popped the trunk. opening a black duffel bag. When Riddler caught sight of the Scarecrow costume and gas canisters inside he backed away from Jonathan, raising his cane and narrowing his eyes behind his purple mask. Jonathan chuckled darkly and took his glasses off, placing them carefully in the trunk. Scarecrow laughing maniacally inside his mind. He rolled his head over his shoulder to look at the Riddler. "Try not to mess your suit. I have to go to the warehouse and would rather not have my workers see me without my mask."

Nygma turned his back on Jonathan as he began to slip out of his vest and shirt. "So, you have to do me a favor."

"The great Prince of Puzzles needs a favor? What trouble did you get into?" Jonathan asked, while slipping into his Scarecrow pants quickly.

Nygma laughed smugly. "Its not like you think. I just want you to let me know when you strike out with Miss Warren."

Before Jonathan could stop him, Scarecrow forced himself forward. Scarecrow spun the Rogue around and grabbed the collar of the Riddler's suit jacket. The Rogue was thrust into the brick wall of the alley, his head snapping back and roughly hitting the brick. "You will never touch Aura. If you even consider it again I will find out just how green you are inside." Scarecrow drug one of the syringes of his gauntlet up the Riddler's neck slowly. The fear in Nygma's eyes made the Scarecrow hungry again. When he spoke his voice was lower, darker; his eyes burned a fierce icy blue as he stared into the emerald eyes of Nygma. Jonathan was trying to fight his way back out, he would have to make this quick. "I may need to dig deep."

Jonathan took control again and immediately released the Riddler. Nygma gasped loudly trying to catch his breath and control his fear. Jonathan softly shook his head trying to clear the fog of the quick change. _'Never do that again Scarecrow! If I have to take the medicine again I will. You do not control this body unless I allow you to, do you understand?'_ The Scarecrow laughed darkly in response. Jonathan turned his attention back to the Rogue in front of him as the Riddler stood straight. "I apologize Nygma. Scarecrow is protective."

"Obsessive," Nygma replied acidly. Jonathan shrugged and turned back to his trunk to collect his canisters. A firm hand was placed on his shoulder and he glanced back to Nygma. "Jonathan, are you sure you have a handle on that thing?"

Jonathan nodded and took the mask from the bag, shutting the trunk. As he went to reassure his friend a scuffle from the next door garage caught their attention. A woman's scream pierced the air. He knew immediately who that scream belonged to. "Aura!" Riddler and Jonathan turned down the alley, breaking out into a run. Jonathan quickly donned his mask as they approached the sidewalk. A large white van broke out of the darkness of the garage as they left the alley. Tires squealing and rubber burned into the asphalt as the van pulled away. A large clown was painted on the side.

Riddler hit him on the shoulder and started pulling him back down the alley. "They are going to head to the Narrows. We can cut them off and get her back!"

Jonathan flew after the tall Rogue, for the first time thankful for his long legs. He reached the car before the green clad Rogue, unlocking it so they could climb in. His own tires squealed as he broke out of the alley. The Riddler pointed his route out as they screamed down the main drags of the city. For all of his faults, Nygma was an expert at what he did. With his knowledge of the police routes, they were easily able to avoid all of Gotham PD. As they entered the Narrows they could see the white van driving only one road over. Jonathan pressed harder on the accelerator to urge his car forward. They began to pull away from the van and Nygma directed him to a turn around. Now they were headed directly towards the white van. Both vehicles screamed to a halt in a cloud of tire smoke.

Riddler jumped from the car shortly after Scarecrow, both Rouges coming to the front bumper. They could see the surprised faces of the clown henchmen with in the van. "I have your back Scarecrow. Don't worry we'll get her back." Riddler said reassuringly.

Jonathan nodded to his fellow Rogue. The Riddler cracked his knuckles and twirled his cane around, tucking it under his arm. He was ready for a fight. Jonathan could feel the Scarecrow clawing in his mind. _'Are you ready for this? Are you going to listen to me?'_

_**'Now is not the time Jonathan. We have to get Aura back!'**_ Scarecrow had a pleading edge to his voice as he spoke again. _**'Please Jonathan. Let me save our Aura.'**_

Jonathan closed his blue eyes and let the Rogue come forward. He stayed in the forefront of their mind, ready to help in whatever way he could. Four clown henchmen came out of the van. All had large guns in their hands. Jonathan reached into the back of his pants, pulling out a pistol. Riddler had already drew his as well. The leader of the henchmen stepped forward. "Well, well. Boss will be so happy that we took you two out. Especially you Scarecrow. Bongo was his favorite so I'll be taking your head back as a trophy."

_'Bongo? That must be the name Tony used.'_ Jonathan mused.

_**'Silence Jonathan. I will need all of my senses.'**_ Scarecrow scolded. Riddler and Scarecrow met each others gaze then nodded to one another. They both dove to the side to crouch behind two dumpsters lining the small alley they were in. Gunshots pierced the air as the henchmen let loose from their automatic weapons. Both Rouges kept a count in their head. Just as the henchmen stopped firing to reload their weapons the Rouges shot out. Riddler knocked down two of the henchmen while Scarecrow nailed one. Smiley had dove behind the van to take cover barely missing Scarecrow's deadly fire. Scarecrow looked over to the Riddler. "Aura is in there, hold your fire."

Riddler nodded, motioning with his cane. Scarecrow understood. After placing his gun in his pants he slowly crept up the side of the van. Smiley jumped out from behind it and held the barrel of the gun to Scarecrow's head. The henchman smiled viciously. "Say your prayers you freak!" he screamed.

Scarecrow laughed darkly. Fear was gripping the henchman as he realized the even with a loaded gun pointed at his head, Scarecrow was not afraid. "You forgot one thing, clown."

"What the fuck is that?"

"Me!" Riddler shouted as the side of his cane met with the henchman's temple. Smiley crashed to the ground in a heap of blood and sweat. Riddler gave Scarecrow a smug smile. "I was tempted to let him shoot you first."

Scarecrow laughed, the rebreather on his mask making it sound haunted. "You would miss me too much, Riddler."

Riddler cursed softly as a familiarly loud engine sounded, fast approaching their position. "Batman!" Riddler shouted. He grabbed Scarecrow's shoulder. "Forget the girl, Batman will take care of her."

Scarecrow shrugged away from the Rogue. "I need to make sure she is okay." The softer voice of Jonathan had once again taken control. Riddler stared into the Scarecrow mask before sighing loudly. "Please, Edward."

"Fine! But you owe me, remember that." Riddler took off at a run towards the end of the alley. "You better remember this when I'm in your stupid asylum!" he yelled as he ran.

Jonathan smiled at his friend's back as he disappeared around the corner. The back of the van easily opened. Jonathan's heart stopped as he looked at the still form laying inside. Aura's hands and feet were bound. Her mouth had been gagged and there was blood flowing gently from a cut in her temple. Jonathan placed his gauntlet into the holder on his back. Using two fingers he searched for a pulse. Satisfied with her strong heartbeat, he pulled her to the edge of the van and lifted her into his arms. As carefully as he could Jonathan placed Aura into the passenger seat of his car. As much as he wanted to remove the restraints and gag he knew he couldn't.

Batman cracked his knuckles as he looked down at the unconscious green mass laying on the road. Riddler had put up quite the fight but in the end, went down like normal. Taking the time to restrain the Rogue and place him into the Batmobile before he dashed down the alley Riddler had run from. The back of a white van bearing the markings of the Joker sat alone. As Batman surveyed the scene something puzzling nagged at the back of his mind. There were four Joker goons lying dead but no sign that the Joker had been here. It was highly unlikely that the Riddler would have just sought out the goons to pick a fight. No something was missing here. After a thorough search of the bodies he determined that three of the henchmen were gunned down and the last one, who appeared to be the leader, died of a sudden blunt trauma to the right temple. Judging from the markings, Batman assumed that it was caused by the Riddler's cane.

Bullet casings covered the alley. The goons were shooting at someone. Batman walked a little away from the van and found two dumpsters covered in bullet holes. He found it suspicious that the Riddler would have hid behind one and then been able to move to the second while still being fired on by four henchmen. There must have been a second person with Nygma, but who? There was nothing behind either dumpster but smaller caliber casings. Returning to the van, Batman looked into the opened back. The floor was covered in dirt and a few smears of blood. Nothing of note could be found. Just as Batman was about to turn to leave something shiny caught his eye. A small charm on a long silver chain in the shape of an obelisk caught the light of the alley just right to sparkle. Batman took it in his hands trying to remember where he had seen the necklace before.

Realization dawned on him. "Aura!" he exclaimed. Batman used a communicator to track his phone that he just so happened to have given to Aura before she left for the day. Bruce Wayne's cell phone was registering at a parking garage near the small cafe that Aura frequented. He quickly dialed the number for Commissioner Gordon. "Gordon, have you found any information on the disappearance of Aura Warren?"

"How did you know that she was missing?" Gordon asked, his tones in a hush as other policemen could be heard talking behind him.

"I just found a necklace belonging to her in the Narrows. What have you found?"

Gordon sighed, exhaustion obvious in his voice. "A waitress at the cafe said that she heard a woman scream from the parking garage next door. A few minutes later a large van burst from the garage. When I arrived at the garage there were signs of a struggle and some blood drops but no sign of anyone. The only thing we were able to find was a cell phone, credit card and driver's license belonging to Aura Warren."

Batman turned on his heel, heading back to his vehicle. "I found the van and the four Joker goons that took Aura but there is no sign of her. I have the Riddler in custody."

"Did he say anything?" Gordon asked.

"No, he refused to talk. Was there anything else that the waitress saw?"

Gordon hummed as he thought. "You know there was one thing that troubled me."

Batman waited for a few seconds but when the officer did not respond he growled out, "What Jim?"

"The waitress said she saw The Riddler with someone else come out of a side alley next to the garage. When she saw him she immediately ran back into the cafe and called the police." Gordon had paused again and when he spoke next his voice was low. "That other person she didn't get a good look at at first but when Riddler and him turned around to go back into the alley, she saw him from the window. It was Scarecrow."

Batman climbed into the driver's seat of the Batmobile. Riddler was still knocked out. "Scarecrow? Then Aura is in a great deal of danger. Send out an alert for her description immediately."

"Already done." Gordon murmured to a fellow officer before returning to the phone. "What are you going to do?"

Batman slid the necklace into a pouch on his belt. "I'm going to take Nygma to Arkham. When he wakes up I will see what he knows."

An hour later, Batman was sitting in an interrogation room at Arkham waiting for the doctors to bring in the Riddler. The patient had awoken not long after they arrived at the asylum but the doctors insisted on checking his wounds while the Rogue was out cold. The door to the interrogation room buzzed as Riddler was led through it. The security guard sat the shackled Riddler in the seat before leaving the room.

Riddler smiled ruefully at him. "Riddle me this Batman: No sooner spoken than broken."

Batman narrowed his eyes at the Rogue. "Silence Nygma, but I can assure you that you will talk. Tell me where Aura Warren was taken?"

Riddler chuckled, his shoulders shaking as he did. "I could not tell you Batman. I have no idea."

Batman slammed his hands down on the table. "I know that you and Scarecrow were working together. So why did he let you take the fall for him to get away?"

"Riddle me this: What is it that given one, you'll have either two or none?"

Batman growled at the Riddler's smug smile. "A choice. Are you saying that you choose to be caught?"

"Wow the dork knight does have half a brain! Yes, I choose to be here."

"That is awfully noble of you. Why help Scarecrow?"

Nygma leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "The cost of making only the maker knows, valueless if bought, but sometimes traded. A poor man may give one as easily as a king, when one is broken pain and deceit are assured."

"You promised him. What did you promise him, that you would help him kidnap Aura?" Batman grabbed the collar of the orange jumpsuit Nygma was wearing. "Tell me where she is Nygma before the Scarecrow hurts her!"

Edward Nygma glared into his eyes as if searching for something. "What does she mean to you Batman?" Batman remained silent as he thrust him roughly into a nearby wall. Nygma laughed through his dazed expression. "I already told you what I know. I left him after we killed the men."

Batman dropped the Rogue and left the interrogation room. His cape billowed behind him as he walked quickly away. With no new leads, he headed to the only place he could think of: The Batcave.

Jonathan turned on the screen of his smartphone. He selected a hotel app and paid for a room. Within seconds he received his conformation number and downloadable room key. Aura was still knocked out and the bleeding on her head had not slowed. He parked behind the hotel, far away from the valet's box. Very carefully he removed the suit jacket from Aura's shoulders, thankful that she had apparently slipped out of it during the run. The goons must have thrown it into the van with her to attempt not to leave evidence. He put the jacket on before moving over to the passenger door. His Scarecrow's mask was still on his head. Jonathan didn't want to appear on camera without it, just in case.

With the utmost caution, he pulled Aura from the car and headed to a side door of the hotel. A small scanning device registered the QR code on his phone that contained his key and opened easily for him. Nervously he looked around the hotel hallways. It was getting into the early morning hours and the hotel was deserted as the occupants slept. They made it to the room without encountering anyone. Jonathan scanned his phone on the door's keypad and slipped inside. A soft light filled the room as he crossed it. Aura made a slight moan as Jonathan placed her onto the bed.

Very gently, Jonathan brushed some of her dark hair behind her ears. A longing filled his loins as he stared down at her angelic form. _**'Jonathan, take her. We have her in our possession. Take her to the safe house and we can make her ours.'**_

Jonathan shook his head, clearing the Scarecrow's desire from it. _'No, she deserves better than that. I want her to come willingly to us, when she is ready.'_

The Scarecrow screamed in his head. Jonathan could feel a strong power welling up inside his head as the Scarecrow fought for control. _**'I want her now! You cannot stop me Jonathan Crane! I will have her!'**_ Jonathan could feel the undeniable pressure in his head as the Scarecrow pressured him for control. He slipped his hand into the pocket of his costume and pulled out a small pill case. Before he could lose control, Jonathan chewed one of the pills. As the pill quickly took effect, he fell to the floor against the bed.

With his head in his hands, Jonathan breathed hard. He could feel tears of pain and frustration at his own weakness falling from his eyes. The Scarecrow quieted after a few seconds and disappeared from his mind. _'You are getting too strong my dear friend. I cannot let you out with Aura this close to us while you are like this. I cannot chance you hurting her. Please forgive me old friend.'_

Jonathan took a few minutes to collect himself before standing up. After slipping off the suit jacket and placing it beside the bed, he crossed into the bathroom. He took off the Scarecrow mask and his breath caught in his throat. The face that stared back at him was hollow with his eyes seeming to sink into his face. The excitement of the chase and gunfight had driven up his adrenaline levels to an extreme. Now his body was coming off of that high. With Aura safe in his arms, Jonathan could feel the tiredness filling his veins. The cold water he used to splash on his face helped to wake him. He sighed as he remembered that he left his first aid kit in the trunk of his car. Jonathan checked on Aura. She was still asleep and he smiled down at her. Quickly he crossed the room and closed the door behind him.

Aura woke up with her head feeling like it was going to split open. She had to shake her head softly to try to clear her vision. Once she could see clearly she took in the bonds around her wrists. The ropes were tied tightly around both her wrists and ankles. After unsuccessfully trying to slip from them, Aura looked at her surroundings. The bed she was laying on dominated the single room. Two doors were the only thing of note in an otherwise obvious hotel room. One she knew would lead to a bathroom and the other she hoped would lead to a hallway of a hotel. The thought crossed her mind that this room could just be an illusion. That she could be deep in the lair of a Gotham Rogue. Those goons had mentioned a clown, the Joker.

With great difficulty Aura managed to sit herself up with her back to the headboard. A soft click sounded on the hall door. Aura's heart started to beat faster. A tall figure slipped in quietly, closing the door behind him. The man's outfit was strange but it didn't remind her of a clown. The brown stitched pants were laden with small almost hidden pouches. The man's shirt exposed his torso and Iris could see countless small scars on his pale skin. What caught her attention the most was his mask. It was obviously made to strike fear into victims but Aura was not afraid. She was curious. The bottom of a gas mask stuck out of the mask and she could hear the soft breathing of the masked man.

Aura tried to speak but the sound came out muffled thanks to the gag. The masked man crossed the room to the edge of the bed. "I see you are awake," he said. His voice came out distorted and haunted, obviously being altered with some sort of device. Aura nodded slowly. The man motioned to a spot on the bed bedside her before sitting. Aura shifted slightly so that her back was straight on the headboard. "I am going to treat your wound now." When Aura made a muffled reply he sighed. "I will consider removing your bonds afterwords."

Aura nodded in response and the man placed a small black pack next to him. When he opened it, she could see countless medical supplies. Selecting a small square pouch, he opened it. The smell of alcohol swirled up from the small square as the man lifted it to her pounding temple. As gently as he could, the man wiped at her face. It took him a few minutes to clean the wound and Aura tried her hardest not to wince at the tender wound. After it was cleaned the man looked closer. Aura took the chance to try and get a good look at the eyes under the mask but the burlap was built in such a way as to hide them in a dark shadow.

"I am going to have to stitch that cut." When he looked at Aura's scared face he chuckled softly. "I will give you a local anesthetic for the pain. You shouldn't feel anything more than a pressure." The man brought out a small needle and Aura bit down on the gag as he administered the medicine. He waited a few minutes before he started to sew the wound. When he was done, he finished cleaning her cut. The man disappeared into the bathroom and returned with a warm, white washcloth. Tenderly, he patted Aura's face and when he threw the cloth to the floor it was entirely pink from her blood. After he was done placing a bandage over the now closed wound he sat back down beside her on the bed. "If I take that out your mouth, I need your promise that you will not scream. I will not harm you, Aura."

Aura was shocked at the sound of her name coming from that distortion device. With a single nod, the man leaned towards her. Aura dipped her head down so that he had more access to the knot behind her head. Within seconds the gag was untied and removed. The man tossed it to the side of the bed. Aura licked her dry lips before attempting to speak. "Who are you?"

The man did not answer for a few minutes. With a lazy motion to his body he replied, "I am Scarecrow."

Aura felt her heart beat faster and her breath catch. This was the Gotham Rogue that killed Tony and claimed that she was under his protection. The same Rogue that claimed that she was his. Confusion slowly replaced the fear she felt. If Scarecrow had wanted to rape or kill her he had had ample time to do so while she was out but he didn't. Her clothes were still in place and obviously she was still breathing. If he wanted to hurt her for any reason he would have done so, not stitch her wound and clean her face of dried blood. "Why am I here? Why did you help me? What do you want?" Aura whispered.

The Scarecrow sighed again and turned his head to the door. "Those men that took you work for the Joker, like your boyfriend did."

"Tony worked for a Gotham Rogue?"

Scarecrow nodded. "He was sent to try to get your affections so that they could get to someone called Net Runner. They believe that you may know him or her." Aura smiled but hid it quickly as the man turned back to her. "I swore to protect you and you are mine to protect. I could not let those clowns take what was mine. I do not like to share."

Aura bit her lip to try to keep her question inside. She knew she wouldn't get the answer out of him. Instead she choose a simple retort. "Thank you."

Scarecrow seemed to visibly start from her words. The Rogue cocked his head to the side as if in confusion. "You are thanking me for being held against your will."

Aura shrugged and lifted her bound arms. "You did not do this to me. Those henchmen did. The way I see it is you saved me and even treated my wound. So the least I can do is thank you for it."

The man stood up and retrieved something from the first aid kit he had placed on a desk in the corner. When he returned Aura saw the needle in his hands. "I am going to give you this."

Aura's heart began to beat harder again. "What is that?"

Scarecrow laughed softly, amused at the fear in her voice. "A sedative. In approximately six hours you will awaken and I will be gone. You will find yourself free of your bonds. Please do not hesitate to call the police to come and retrieve you."

Scarecrow uncapped the covering of the syringe and sat beside Aura. Aura straightened her back and attempted to pull her arms further away from him. "Wait please!" Scarecrow paused and waited for her to say something. "I want to talk to you."

The man infront of her was silent as he appeared to be contemplating her words. "It would not be wise for me to delay my departure. No doubt Batman and the police are looking desperately for you. And I don't know for how much longer _he_ will be quiet." Aura gasped as the needle sunk into the soft muscle of her arm. "It will take a few minutes for the sedative to kick in. I suggest you use that time to talk."

Aura shifted on the bed but lost her balance, falling softly into the man's chest. Strong, slim arms wrapped around her and Aura expected him to push her off of him. Instead, the man shifted them around so that his back was now against the headboard and Aura was resting against his chest. The soft scent of pumpkin and cinnamon filled her nose as Scarecrow's chest rested under her head. "I'm sorry; it is hard to move with your limbs tied up. Why did you not push me away?"

The gentle rise and fall of his chest was beginning to tranquilize Aura. She knew that she wouldn't last long but she forced herself to remain awake. "I told you before. You are my Aura. I revel in delight that you are in my arms."

Aura felt her eyes drooping and she shook her head to try and stay awake. "Why?"

"Because in my arms you are safe. I will never harm you nor let anyone attempt to harm you. Not even _him._"

The bitterness in that pronoun again peaked her curiosity. "Who is he?"

The Scarecrow was silent before he quickly replied. "You do not need to worry about him. Not right now." After a few seconds he sighed again. "You will meet him soon enough I know."

Aura nodded. She could no longer feel her body as the sedative was quickly winning. "Will I see you again?"

A soft pressure pressed down on the crown of her head. Through the wig she could feel his soft kiss. "I will always be near you Aura, whether you know it or not. I will protect you. You will see me again, I promise."

Jonathan waited for a few minutes after her breathing became steady. The sedative had finally kicked in. With a sigh of relief, he pulled the Scarecrow's mask off and laid it on the nightstand next to the bed. With great care, even though he knew she would not wake up, Jonathan shifted Aura's head to the pillows. A small knife appeared in his hand and he cut the tight ropes around her wrist and ankles. Small burn marks and bruises covered her extremities. The sight of them caused anger to flare in his normally calm mind. Scarecrow was still asleep thankfully, Jonathan would have hated to feel the rage the markings would have stirred in his dark one. He retrieved an ointment from his medical pack and rubbed the bruises gently. When he was done, Jonathan stood at the foot of the bed.

Aura's chest rose and feel gently with each breath. She smiled in her sleep. Very softly Jonathan crawled into the bed beside her. He could feel the exhaustion winning over in his body. He had five and a half hours before she would wake and he would spend every minute with her in his arms. Jonathan wrapped his arms around her torso. A blush crept up his cheeks as she turned instinctively and buried her head in his chest. A soft alarm woke him up five hours later. He shut his phone off and looked down. Aura was still curled up in his chest. She was smiling, with a fist full of his costume's shirt firmly in her hands. Jonathan carefully disentangled himself from her arms. He lifted his suit jacket that he had given her, covering her torso with it. He knew he did not have long left and he needed to leave but before he could, he had one more thing he wanted to do. Aura had rolled onto her back as her mind drifted out of her deep sleep. Jonathan knelt onto the soft bed beside her. Bending over, he pushed his lips onto her soft, warm mouth. The feeling of their lips touching was enough to reignite the fire in his gut and loins. As he regretfully parted from her lips, he looked down at her. "Soon I won't have to run away, Aura. Soon you will welcome into your life and I will be able to kiss you as long and whenever I want." Jonathan stole one last kiss. "Until then, my love. My Aura," he gathered all trace of himself from the room and exited just as quietly as he came.


	7. Chapter 7

Commissioner Gordon was pacing the room as the crime scene team gathered what little evidence they could find. Aura was still seated on the bed, watching as the officers worked. He had received a call early this morning, waking him up from what little sleep he could get. Aura had been missing for going on ten hours before he received that call. It was from an unknown number and Jim almost didn't answer it but something had told him to. It was Aura just as calm and collected as if she had simply took a vacation and was coming home. He had never gotten dressed so fast before. The hotel was surrounded within minutes and the detectives were all over the area searching for any signs of the abductor.

When the crime scene team had finished their search Jim ushered them out of the room. Aura stared at him as he took a seat on the bed beside her. She looked exhausted but besides the dressed wound on her forehead and bruises on her wrists and ankles Aura was unharmed. "Aura, can you tell me what happened?"

"Where do I start, Commissioner?" she whispered softly.

Jim gently gathered her hands in his. "Just start at the beginning Aura."

"I left a friend after lunch at the cafe and was heading to the parking garage next door."

Jim took out his notepad. "What was your friend's name Aura?"

"Is that relevant?" she questioned.

"We just want to rule out the possibility that your friend was not working for whoever kidnapped you." Jim replied softly.

"Like Tony was." Aura sighed as he nodded his head to her. "His name was Jonathan Crane."

"Jonathan Crane? Tall, skinny guy with the really pale eyes?" Jim asked, astounded.

Aura looked confusedly at him. "Yes, do you know him?"

Jim nodded and for the first time today smiled. "Yeah, Jonathan is a good man if just a little strange. I don't think he would have been involved in this." Jim looked at the man's suit jacket the Aura was currently wearing. "Was that jacket his?"

Aura nodded, pulling the jacket closer to her. "Yeah, I was cold and he let me borrow it."

"Are you and Jonathan Crane dating?"

Aura shrugged her shoulders. "We are just friends right now. I only met him a few days ago, the same night that Tony was killed." Jim nodded and jotted a few notes down. Jonathan Crane was a good man but he would still have to talk to him to make sure he didn't see anything. "Anyway, Jonathan walked me to the garage and we parted ways. I was walking back to the car when these three guys ran out from behind a large van and threw me to the ground. I tried to fight them off but I saw a fourth guy with a gun so I stopped. Before they could get me in the car though I made sure to drop my phone and credit card that way someone would hopefully find it. I guess in hindsight that was stupid considering someone could have stolen them but I wasn't exactly thinking it through."

Jim laughed softly. "Actually when we got the call from the waitress who heard you screaming we found your things in the garage. It was part of what helped us figure out that you had been taken."

Aura smiled warmly at him. "Did you find Joker's goons yet?"

"We will talk about that in a minute. What happened after you were put in the van?"

Aura shrugged. "They hit me really hard on the head and I blacked out. The next thing I remember was waking up in here with my hands and legs bound."

Gordon waited for her to mention the one thing that was most important. When she didn't he sighed. This wasn't going to be a fun conversation. "The waitress reported seeing The Riddler and Scarecrow chasing after the Joker van. Did you come into contact with either of these Rouges."

Aura stared blankly at him. "The Riddler? No, I didn't see him. Just the Joker goons that kidnapped me."

Gordon shook his head. "Batman found the van with the Joker's men dead beside it. The Riddler fought with Batman to allow Scarecrow the chance to take you away from the crime scene." Jim patted her leg softly. "It just doesn't add up Aura."

"What doesn't?"

"The fact that the van you disappeared in was found empty and then you somehow managed to find your way to this hotel. Tell the truth Aura."

Aura sighed. "When I woke up here last night, Scarecrow was with me."

Gordon straightened his back. This just wasn't making sense. Why would Scarecrow, one of the more dangerous Gotham City Rouges, bring Aura here and leave her alive? Scarecrow never left anyone alive. Not only that but Aura had tried to hide the fact that he was here. Was she defending him? "Did he hurt you Aura?"

Aura shook her head vigorously. "No! Scarecrow treated my wounds. He said that he would never hurt me."

"Aura, he is a dangerous criminal. Hundreds have died because of him and that fear gas of his. Why did he leave you alive? Did he say anything to you?"

Aura pushed herself from the bed, glaring down at him. "No, Commissioner, he didn't. The only thing he told me was the he was going to give me a sedative and that when I woke up he would be gone. Scarecrow told me to call the police when I woke up. He didn't try to hurt me at all! In fact, he was sweet and kind."

Jim Gordon's worse fears were beginning to come out. Aura Warren was sinking dangerously close into becoming the next Harley Quinn. "Aura, please listen to me when I tell you to stay away from Scarecrow. Nothing good can come from that Rogue."

Aura held up her hand for silence. "Commissioner, I am appreciative of what you are trying to say but I am a big girl. I know that the Scarecrow is dangerous and I plan to stay away from him. While I am thankful that for whatever reason he choose to help me, I realize that it may never happen again. That the next time we cross paths, he may choose to kill me. I can assure you that I do not intend to be put in a situation like this again."

Gordon smiled. "Then until the Rouges are rounded up, please don't go anywhere alone."

Aura returned his smile. "That's what I plan to do. If I decide to go anywhere I will make sure to have someone with me."

Aura followed the Commissioner out of the hotel room and down to the parking lot. A familiar Lamborghini was parked among the police cars. Bruce pulled Aura into a tight hug when she approached his car. He helped her into the passenger seat and Aura was thankful to be in the quiet interior of the vehicle Bruce was talking to James Gordon, both looking grim and serious. As she sat in the quiet of the car, the previous night kept running through her mind. The Scarecrow was a dangerous man but he had never made a move to hurt her in anyway. Why? Aura had to know who he really was and nothing would stop her from finding out. Her hand pressed against her chest, searching for the familiar lump that was her most prized possession. But there was nothing there. Frantically Aura pulled her shirt away from her body looking for the silver chain and obelisk. "No, that's not possible!"

Bruce Wayne slipped into the car as she was looking down her shirt. He chuckled softly. "Did you lose something?"

Aura felt the tears falling down her face. "A necklace that meant a lot to me. It must have fallen off sometime last night."

Bruce leaned forward and opened the glove box. Aura's cards, ID, and a new phone were inside. "That was all that Gordon said they found." When Aura's head dropped, he gently reached over and placed a warm hand on her lap. "Maybe it will turn up. They could have it but have not released it because they think it is still evidence. I will ask Gordon about it later today."

Aura nodded and lay her head back against the seat. She felt gross from the previous night. Curiously she looked over at Bruce Wayne. "Where are we going?"

"Home, Aura. I figured the last thing you would want to do is work today. If you want you can help me plan for my annual Halloween party."

"Halloween is this weekend isn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah, I need to get the manor decorated for it. I have already sent out the invites and everything else is taken care of."

Aura laughed. "The mighty Bruce Wayne is going to decorate?"

Bruce returned her laugh as he pulled off the highway and drove out of the city. "Not me. I get to supervise though." He looked over at her. "You know that you are invited right?

Aura played hurt. "Bruce Wayne, I better be invited since I live with you. Otherwise you would be a bad host."

"Alfred would kill me if he thought I was being a bad host, Aura."

Aura smiled playfully. "I'll have to remember that Bruce."

Jonathan Crane sat in his office, trying his hardest to think of a reason to avoid the upcoming conference. Two hours after he arrived for the day, exhausted from the night before, he received a call from Commissioner Gordon requesting a meeting with him immediately. Jonathan suspected the reason had something to do with Aura Warren. A smile crossed his lips as the memory of her in his arms crossed his mind. When he arrived back at the safe house this morning he regretfully removed his costume. It still smelled heavily of Aura's perfume. Jonathan took a sip of his coffee, trying to clear the fog that was still in his mind. The medication that held the Scarecrow back was still in his veins. Jonathan had fought with himself just moments ago as he considered continuing taking the medication. The Scarecrow was becoming dangerously uncontrollable the closer they came to their Aura but he couldn't bring himself to take the small pill.

A knock on his door jolted him from his thoughts. "Come in," he called.

Commissioner Gordon entered, closing the door behind him. He sat himself in one of the chairs infront of Jonathan's desk. "Good morning Dr. Crane."

"Good morning Commissioner. What do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" he asked, leaning forward on his desk, his hands holding his chin.

The older officer pulled out a small notepad, flipping through the full pages. "Yesterday afternoon you were at a cafe downtown correct."

Jonathan kept his face neutral. "Yes, it is one of my favorite places for lunch. Did I do something wrong Gordon?"

Gordon shook his head softly. "No, I am just trying to check if you might have saw or heard anything when you were leaving."

"What might I have saw or heard?" Jonathan narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Aura Warren was kidnapped shortly after she left that same cafe." the officer stated calmly.

Jonathan knew that Gordon's statement was meant to trap him. He knew that Aura was safe and would have already called the police when she woke up this morning. Gordon was simply trying to see if he was hiding anything. Feigning surprise and worry, Jonathan quickly asked, "Aura! Has she been found? Is she okay?"

Just as Jonathan expected his surprised outburst took Gordon by surprise. The man held his hands up in surrender. "She was found this morning still wearing your jacket."

"My jacket? Yes I gave it to her when we parted." Jonathan slipped his glasses off and rubbed his tired eyes. To the officer sitting across from him, Jonathan knew he would appear relieved. "Let me start from the beginning. I had the day off from work and decided to go to lunch at the cafe. I was surprised to see Aura there. I bought her coffee and we talked for a few hours. I walked her from the cafe to a parking garage that she said she parked her car at. I had insisted that I walk her to her vehicle but Aura declined." Jonathan sighed deeply for the effect. "I wish I had only been a little more assertive."

Gordon nodded and jotted down his response. "Remind me how she came to be in possession of your jacket."

Jonathan shrugged his shoulders slightly. "Aura was cold when we were on the sidewalk and I offered her my jacket." Now Jonathan leaned forward, scooting closer to his desk. "Commissioner Gordon, am I a suspect?"

"No, no." The officer seemed to be amused and laughed. "We pretty much are sure that the Joker is behind the actual kidnapping. Though I do have a favor to ask of you Dr. Crane."

"By all means, if it helps to protect Miss Warren I will do what I can."

Gordon smiled at his words. "You must really like Miss Aura huh? The last time I saw you with her you were protecting her from her boyfriend and now you are helping to catch her kidnappers?"

Jonathan blushed. He became annoyed with himself for the boyish response. "Well I have to say she has caught my attention, Mr. Gordon."

"Right, anyway. I believe that the Riddler may know something about why the Scarecrow took Aura and then let her go."

Jonathan narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brows in confusion. "The Scarecrow? That new Rogue that everyone is going on about?" Jonathan grasped his chin in thought, leaning back in his chair. "Well I can't say much on him considering that we have not had the pleasure of making him a patient here at Arkham yet. But I do have a session with Mr. Nygma later this afternoon. I will see if I can pull anything from him about our mystery Rogue."

Gordon stood and Jonathan followed suit. He came around the desk and shook hands with the aging officer. "Thank you Dr. Crane. If anything interesting comes up, please let me know. Oh, and one more thing."

"Of course, Commissioner."

Jonathan began to lead him towards the door. "If you happen to be talking with Miss Warren and she mentions anything about the Scarecrow, please try to persuade her away from any positive dealings with the Rogue."

"Positive dealings? What do you mean?"

Gordon sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping. "I have a fear that Miss Warren may try to seek out the Scarecrow. When he had her in his grasp he apparently showed her kindness and took care of her wounds. I would hate..."

Jonathan held a firm hand on the officer's shoulder. "Say no more. You would hate for Aura to wind up like Miss Quinzel. I think Aura Warren is a lot more mature and knowledgeable than Harleen Quinzel was, but I understand your fear and will do my best to monitor her emotions regarding the Scarecrow."

Jonathan flashed the Commissioner a smile and a small wave as Aaron Cash escorted him through the halls of Arkham and away from his office. After shutting the door to the office, a low dangerous laugh echoed inside of his mind. _'You're finally awake.'_

_**'No thanks to you, Jonathan.'**_ The Scarecrow growled back at him. Jonathan knew that his old friend would be furious at his actions towards him. He was prepared for the headache the Scarecrow would impose on him, but nothing came. The Scarecrow sensed his tension and laughed again. _**'Do not be afraid, Jonathan. I completely understand your reasoning behind what you did in the hotel. I would not have been able to control myself had you not interfered.'**_

Jonathan sighed in relief. He had been dreading this moment for quite some time. _'I am glad to hear that you have matured so much Scarecrow.'_

_**'Yes, matured.'**_ A low hum started in Jonathan's mind. The Scarecrow was in a rare mood indeed. **_'Did you hear what that man said? Aura may be starting to develop feelings for me, us. My own Harley Quinn. I like the sound of that.'_**

Jonathan flopped back into his desk chair, kicking his long legs up onto the wood of the desk. _'I would not take pride in that, Scarecrow. Stockholm Syndrome is hardly a good precursor for a healthy and long lasting relationship.'_

_**'Who said anything about wanting a healthy and long relationship? I just want...'**_

_'I know what you want Scarecrow!'_ Jonathan snapped. _'You are not the only one involved in this situation. You will have Aura physically, like you desire. I desire more. I want her mind and body. And I want them both intact!'_

_**'And what are you implying, Jonathan Crane?'**_ The Scarecrow asked, the dark voice dangerously low.

Jonathan did his best to sound menacing and serious. He could not show the Scarecrow any fear with the bold statement he had in his mind. _'That I will do anything I have to to protect Aura from you. Even if that means taking you out completely.'_

The Scarecrow laughed loudly. _**'You forget Jonathan, I am a part of you. There is nothing you can do to be rid of me forever.'**_

"That's what you think." Jonathan whispered, pushing the Scarecrow to the back of his mind. The Rogue went willingly, the medicine still weakening him.

Aura dashed down the stairs, ducking under a tall ladder. The man on the ladder gave a half frightened scream as it wobbled. "Sorry!" Aura called back. As she skidded to a halt in the main ball room of the mansion, both Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth looked up in surprise. "I have a question."

Bruce laughed at the disheveled appearance of her overly large t-shirt and blue jeans. Alfred raised an eyebrow. "It seems to me that someone needs to lay off the caffeine."

Bruce lightly pushed the older man's shoulder. "She is just excited, Alfred. What is your question Aura?"

Aura smiled and joined the two men at the buffet table they were standing next to. "Is there a theme for the party or is it a come as you want to thing?"

Bruce smiled. "You can be anything you want to be."

Aura clapped her hands. "Wonderful! Do you have a sowing machine I can use then? Oh, and I need to go back to my home and pick up some things."

"What are you going to be?"

Aura shook her head. "No, no Mr. Wayne. Although I think you will find it appropriate to my new home." She laughed softly. "Actually I once did this costume back in Metropolis and my props are still at home."

Alfred stepped toward her. "I will escort you home then. Maybe afterward we can go and get some gelato. I have been in a mood for it lately."

Bruce threw his hands into the air. "What am I chopped liver? I want to come to."

"Now, Mr. Wayne, billionaire playboys do not whine. You are perfectly fine staying home by yourself." Alfred chided playfully.

"We will bring you home some gelato!" Aura called back to Bruce as she followed the older man to the front door.

Jonathan took a deep breath before opening the door to the patient therapy room. The rooms were bland with nothing sharp and everything bolted down to the floor. Edward Nygma was sitting by the lone, barred window in the room, gazing out onto the recreation area down on the island. Jonathan slid the door closed quietly so that he did not break the Rouge's concentration. He gently sat across from Nygma, sliding a clipboard with the patient's details clasped on it on top of the table. Deep purple bruises laced Nygma's face, neck, and the little bit of his chest that was exposed from the unbuttoned top of the orange jumpsuit. A slight pang of guilt crossed Jonathan's mind at the sight of his battered friend, one of the only people he could genuinely call a friend. He softly cleared his throat and finally Nygma turned his emerald eyes on the doctor. "How are you feeling today, Edward?"

"Cut the shit, Crane. You know I'm still in pain." Nygma growled back at him.

Jonathan looked over to the observation window. He knew that no one was behind it. No one dared to watch over the head psychiatrist without his knowledge. The last soul to try it found themselves lost in the bowels of the island with a hungry Killer Croc. The security guards were still looking for the unlucky doctor's remains. Very rarely did he ever take on student interns, but when he did he was well aware of their presence behind the glass. "I do appreciate what you did for me last night. Would you like me to have them give you a stronger pain killer?"

Nygma shook his head. "A damn stiff drink would do me fine. How is your little hen doing?"

Jonathan smiled at the small nickname. An appropriate name for Aura being a hen was a female bird. He hoped that one day he could make her his Aura Crane, but that was something taboo right now. Scarecrow would have to be dealt with first. "The last I heard she was back in the safety of her friend's home."

"Did you enjoy your night together?" Nygma asked with a rueful smirk.

The implications did not fall short with Jonathan. The Scarecrow roared with laughter inside of his mind and Jonathan had to strain to push him back into the quiet recesses. "Nothing happened," he growled out.

Nygma joined in the roaring laughter of the Scarecrow. Jonathan became acutely aware of the small cold canister inside of his pant's pocket. He reached inside and grasped the metal firmly. Nygma immediately followed his movements and silenced himself. "I am terribly sorry to hear about that, Crane. So let's talk about last night."

"I'm assuming you want to discuss payment for your services rendered?" Jonathan mused.

Nygma leaned forward and motioned for Jonathan to also. "I need you to get my cell phone for me."

"Your cell phone? What is the problem Nygma? You have never had an issue escaping the Asylum before." Jonathan smiled darkly.

Nygma glared back at him. "Apparently someone thought it would be beneficial to upgrade the cell security. I was literally put in a plastic box with a door that only opens when the panel clear across the room is activated. Believe me I've been trying all night to crack open that door without the panel but there is nothing I can do. I need my phone so Net Runner can break me out."

Jonathan tried to hide the shock he felt. "You know who the Net Runner is?"

Nygma nodded, leaning back in his chair. "Yeah but you aren't getting that information from me. The last thing I want is for that woman to make my life hard or worse," the Rogue shuttered softly, "I'd rather deal with your fear gas than a virus she could deal me."

Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "That can be arranged."

Nygma glared darkly at him. "You wouldn't dare after what I did for you. Do you even realize how angry that fucking Bat was when he finally figured out I was covering for you? I swear he kicked me so hard my stomach dropped into my balls."

Jonathan grimaced at the unpleasant imagery. "I will see what I can do about your phone but I am not promising anything."

"I want my costume back too, Crane." He smiled smugly. "Surely you are smart enough to figure something out."

**(Rate and Review please. Let me know what you think of the story so far!)**


	8. Chapter 8

Aura laughed at the story Alfred just finished telling of Bruce Wayne when he was a child. "I can't believe that Bruce Wayne wore a dress for how long?"

"Almost a solid month." Alfred laughed and pressed in the gate code for the condo complex. "He thought that if he pretended to be a girl, his mother would take him with her to the Miss Gotham pageant. Bruce was stricken with a certain smoldering beauty."

Aura wiped a few tears away as she laughed again. "Did it work?"

"No, unfortunately Master Wayne got in trouble not long after. Though for his birthday his father invited the newly crowned Miss Gotham. I've never seen Master Wayne's face so beat red before." Alfred pulled the car into an empty space near the front door to Aura's home.

She reached for the car handle but paused. "Would you like to come in, Alfred?"

The older man smiled warmly. "That is not necessary Miss Warren. I will wait here for you."

"Alright I won't be long. If you change your mind I'll leave the front door unlocked." Aura bounced out of the vehicle and quickly unlocked her front door. The mail from the past few days was piled up on the floor. She quickly went through the mass of junk mail and old bills, sighing softly. Everyday since she left Metropolis Aura had wished that her parents would write to her but nothing had ever came. She knew the reason for the silence between them but the distance was beginning to weigh on her. All of the bad things that had been happening lately to her in Gotham were starting to wear her walls down and she desperately longed for someone to talk to. Someone who knew the real her, the whole story. Many times she considered talking to Mr. Wayne but part of her knew he would judge her actions harshly. Aura needed someone who understood and was unbiased.

Nothing had changed in her condo since she had been gone, as she suspected it would. After grabbing a small reusable shopping bag from the kitchen cupboard she moved into the living room. She had wanted to take some of her movies with her back to Wayne Manor. Bruce's selection was severely lacking the thrillers and pop-up scares she loved. As she turned around an empty pedestal in the corner caught her eye. Aura moved over to it and touched the marble pedestal. "Where did you run off to?" she whispered to the missing scarecrow statue. It was a birthday gift from her father on her sixteenth birthday. An inside joke only between the two of them. Her father was tall and skinny, the epitome of a computer programmer. Ever since Aura was a young child her father had been her idol, a hard worker that at the end of a long, hard work day would always make time for his little girl.

One hot summer, Drake Warren took a six year old Aura to a local corn farm outside of Metropolis for their legendary corn maze. Aura, in her excitement, had gotten separated from her father deep within the maze. For hours she wondered the maze, crying for her father until her voice grew hoarse. She came across an opening in the field with a scarecrow hanging. Aura was frightened of the intimating figure but as she stared up into the burlap face, a calm and secure feeling filled her veins. Aura curled up beneath the scarecrow. Not long after, Drake and the farmers found her. When Aura woke up in her father's arms she smiled and told him, "The scarecrow protected me father. He said that everything would be alright if I stayed with him." Her father laughed warmly at her, trying to tell her that the scarecrow could not speak but Aura was adamant.

On her sixteenth birthday Drake Warren placed the scarecrow statue on her nightstand. Aura smiled when she woke up and saw it. A small note was left beside it, "Now no matter where you are; no matter how far from me and your mother, you will always be able to look upon this scarecrow and remember that no matter how lost or scared you become you will be safe. He will always be there for you to remind you that dark days will always become bright when the sun shines." Aura closed her eyes and desperately tried to think of where the scarecrow statue had been moved to. Once he was placed on his pedestal, Aura rarely moved it unless to clean and dust it.

"Maybe the locksmith had to move it when he fixed this window," she thought, looking at the new lock on the window beside the pedestal. "It has to be around here somewhere."

Pushing it from her mind for the time being Aura ran up the stairs and into her walk in closet. The small duffel bag that contained the props from her costume from her last Halloween party her work had held was still sitting on the bottom of her closet, waiting to find a new purpose. She smiled and dragged the bag out, throwing it against the foot of her bed. While she was in the closet she pulled out some more of her work clothes, carefully packing them away in a separate bag. Aura hauled the new bag into the room and sat it down on the floor beside her bed. An object on one of her pillows caught her eye. A burlap sack with a noose hanging around the neck. That set up reminded her of something she just had an encounter with.

"Scarecrow," she whispered. Carefully Aura sat on the edge of her bed and picked up the mask. Surprisingly it was heavier than she thought it would have been. She inspected the inside, finding a small filtering device where the wearer's mouth would be. Aura stared down at the mask before breathing deeply and slipping it over her head. The fit was comfortable, not too snug but not too loose. She played with the noose, tightening it to secure the mask. The mirror over her dresser called to her and Aura stood before it. The image was frightening as the burlap mask glared back at her. Aura smiled through the mask and gave off a soft laugh. The sound that came out however, was foreign and full of menace. "Wow, this is crazy!" she said, the voice changer in the mask making it sound like a demon. She took a deep breath to inhale the distinct scent of pumpkin and cinnamon.

With a smile she pulled the mask from her head and stared down into the empty eyes. The thought of the Rogue who put the mask on her bed crossed her mind, causing a small shiver to run up her spine. For the first time in a long time, fear coursed through her veins. Scarecrow had been in her home. He must have stolen the statue from downstairs. If he was comfortable breaking into her own private home, doing god knows what do her possessions: how far was he really willing to go? Aura stuffed the mask into the prop bag. Commissioner Gordon ran through her mind next. She should tell someone. Bruce Wayne maybe? Aura shook her head and fell back on the pillows. When the air was pushed out of the feathered pillows, the heavy scent of pumpkin and cinnamon rushed out. All of her senses were put on overload from the familiar, strangely comforting scent. She rolled over and breathed deeply in the pillow. Half of her mind was screaming to call Gordon and hide away in Wayne Manor until the Rogue was caught. The other half wanted to stay forever and breath in the scent of Scarecrow. The half that won was the one that compelled her to stuff two of the oversized pillows in a bag before gathering her things and leaving the condo.

Jonathan Crane sighed in irritation as Jervis Tetch stood before him, quoting from Alice in Wonderland for the tenth time that hour. He had been called to cover the therapy session for Tetch after the female psychiatrist that normally covered the patient was attacked in the last session. Tetch paced in small strides since the shackles prohibited him from much movement. Crane crossed his long legs and looked down at the patient report infront of him. "Mr. Tetch, could you please explain to me why you attacked Mrs. Scott?"

The small man glanced up at Jonathan for a split second before dropping his gaze back to the floor. Scarecrow chuckled in dark amusement at the Rogue infront of them. Jonathan was well aware that Tetch knew nothing about his own Rogue, but the fear in his eyes told Jonathan everything he wanted to know. The Mad Hatter was uncomfortable under the scrutinizing gaze, maybe even a little fearful, of the psychiatrist sitting before him. The Rogue turned in his pace, muttering softly to himself. "I though that my Alice had finally come for me, but I was wrong. That hag was nothing but a Snark."

Jonathan had to sustain his own laughter at the disgusted tone of The Mad Hatter. There was no love lost with the loss of one of Arkham's biggest tramps. Even married Isabella Scott had tried, and succeeded in most cases, in sleeping with most of the employees and patients in the asylum. When Jonathan took control of the psychiatric department she turned her sights onto him. Many times Scott had trapped him in the halls. The last time Scott even tried to run her hands up his thighs as she pushed him into a wall. That was one of the only times he fully let the Scarecrow take over while in the asylum. Scarecrow had thrown her against the opposite wall and wrapped a hand around her throat. The look of pure terror as the Scarecrow warned her that she would never be able to handle him was priceless. Jonathan pulled himself from his thoughts and looked back at Tetch with mock amusement. "What is a Snark?"

Tetch smiled ruefully. "Oh, loathsome unimaginable creatures really. The only thing they are good for is to be served with greens. Lazy and useless foul things."

Jonathan chuckled softly and the Rogue seemed to perk up. "I could only imagine what you think of me then."

At his statement Tetch almost seemed to wither away. It appeared that he would rather be anywhere in the world other than under the piercing stare of Jonathan's eyes. "I believe that you are a Borogrove, my good Doctor, though the jury is still out on that one. There is a darkness in you. I fear for your Alice should you get angry."

A soft knock on the therapy room door stopped Jonathan from responding. Anger and annoyance filled Jonathan immediately. Another of his rules, no one interrupts his sessions. Jonathan stalked over to the door and pulled it open with a little more strength than he intended. The ebony face of Aaron Cash smirked at him. Jonathan rubbed his eyes under his glasses. "What is the problem Cash?"

Cash furrowed his brows at him. "You told me to come get Tetch at one and it is one o'clock."

Jonathan flashed him a smile. "Yes, take Mr. Tetch back to his cell in Block D." Cash stepped into the room and Tetch was corralled out. Jonathan walked behind the two and followed them into the elevator. "Did the other guards get Killer Croc moved yet?"

Cash growled. "Son of a bitch isn't cooperative today."

"Get all the guards from Block B to help with the move. I would rather this went off without someone losing a limb."

Jonathan did not miss the glare Cash shot at him. "Someone has to be left in B to watch the Rouges there."

Annoyed, Jonathan slipped his glasses off and tucked them into the pocket of his suit coat. "I doubt any of them will cause a problem for the short amount of time it will take for the guards to move Croc. See it done."

Jonathan stepped off the elevator as Cash grumbled in anger. Once in the safety of his office, he slipped his glasses back on. A large, unmarked box sat on top of his impeccably organized desk. Crane slipped the box under his arm and left his office once again. Stopping before the unguarded door to Block B, Jonathan swiped his badge and turned off the cameras within. He quickly stepped into the darkened hall, passing by a sleeping Two-Face and Penguin grumbling about stock options and black market dealings. Jonathan halted before one of the plastic doors that sprung open after the ninety second delay.

"About time you showed up." Nygma growled as he pushed off on of the cement walls covered with green question marks.

Crane raised an eyebrow at the drawings. "I see you are settling into your new home."

"Temporary home," The Riddler smiled and took the box from Jonathan. "Would you care to stay around for the fun?"

"I don't want to know." A soft vibration began from his pants pocket. Jonathan reached in, noticing the tense in Nygma's posture. Jonathan flashed him a dark smile as he put the phone to his ear. "Doctor Crane," he said in a professional tone.

"Doctor? So you are a mad scientist?" a soft, angelic laugh issued from the speaker.

"Aura?" he questioned, stunned for a few seconds.

Edward Nygma started laughing loudly and Jonathan kicked out his leg, striking the Rogue in the shin. The Riddler went down to his knees hard. "Fuck you Crane!" Riddler hissed between clinched teeth.

"Is this a bad time?" Aura questioned.

Jonathan shot Nygma a dark glare and pulled out a canister of his fear gas, flipping it over in his hand. The Riddler immediately fell silent. "No, I can talk. How did you get my number, I don't remember giving it to you."

Aura giggled. "A certain mutual acquaintance texted it to me."

Another glare was shot at the Rogue now sitting on his cell bed. "Did he now? I'll have to have a talk with him." Jonathan leaned against the doorjamb, focusing on the floor. The canister in his hand still being rolled around. "So what can I do for you?"

"Well, _Doctor_ Crane. I was wondering if you would like to," Aura had paused, taking in a deep breath before sighing, "maybe go to dinner and movie with me?"

Jonathan's heart skipped a beat. _'She wants to see us again and its only been a few days since the hotel. What do I do?'_

**_'What in the seven hells do you mean what do I do?'_** Scarecrow griped back at his other half.

_'I've never had a woman actually want to spend time with me without trying to get something from me or just to make me the brunt of a bad joke.'_ Jonathan chewed on his lip nervously and looked over at Nygma.

The Rogue had his mouth hanging open in shock. "Say yes," he whispered as if he could read the thoughts inside of Jonathan's head.

Aura was humming softly. "Hellloooo? Are you still there Jonathan?"

Jonathan quickly pulled himself from his thoughts and stood straight. "I would love too."

Nygma pumped his fist into the air in triumph. Jonathan rolled his eyes and shook his head. He could hear the smile in Aura's voice. "How about tonight?"

"That sounds wonderful. Should I pick you up or meet you somewhere?"

A male voice on the other end sounded. "I'm coming Alfred!" Aura yelled away from the phone. "Sorry, I'm being called for lunch. How about you come pick me up around seven?"

Jonathan smiled broadly. He could feel his pulse racing and a sudden eruption of butterflies exploded in his stomach. "That sounds great. I'll see you at seven then."

"Awesome, I'll um...text you the address just please don't freak out when you see my friend's house." Aura laughed after she finished. "Well I will let you get back to your crazy, mad scientist experiments, _Doctor_ Crane."

Jonathan slipped the phone back into his pocket and looked over at The Riddler. The Rogue was leaning back on his mattress, the box had been slipped underneath the bed. "This is adorable! Is this your first date in which you didn't drug and kidnap the woman?"

"This is a first real date if you must know. Scarecrow is the one that likes his women helpless and immobilized." Jonathan sealed the door to the Rouge's cell. "Whatever you are planning I suggest you do it tonight. The guards are on a minimal shift considering the reduction in patients we have currently. It would be the perfect opportunity for you to slip away unnoticed."

The Riddler smiled mischievously. "Hopefully Net Runner isn't too busy. I will see what I can do."

Aura hung up her phone and grabbed the nearest bag of glitter confetti. She had been on the fence ever since coming back from her condo with Alfred. Half of her just wanted to crawl into bed and cry at the lost of the only thing in life that she could control, Isis, and just eat ice cream while contemplating what to do about the mask that was currently burning a hole in her panty drawer. The other half was urging her to buck up and grow a spine. The Scarecrow so far had yet to make a move in regards to harming her and the Joker gang had been quiet since the hotel incident a few days ago. It was now Thursday and Aura wanted to get out of the mansion. Going to work with Bruce wasn't enough. So soon after she got back home from the condo she manned up and called Jonathan Crane. Aura wasn't really expecting him to accept her invite but she was glad he did.

Bruce Wayne was leaning over a table, reading the final draft of tomorrow night's dinner menu. Aura quietly slipped behind the preoccupied billionaire and unloaded a torrential rain of glitter on top of his head. Bruce laughed in surprise, brushing the glitter from his hair as he turned around. "Someone is in a much better mood. Glad to see you smiling again Aura."

Aura grabbed his hands and pulled him onto the dance floor. Ever since the morning she returned from the hotel, Bruce had become closer to her. They shared jokes and stories during small breaks at work. At dinner they would discuss things for the upcoming Halloween party. Aura had finally gotten comfortable around her young boss since he stopped trying to be more than what he was to her, a friend. Aura danced with Bruce to unheard music. Bruce was graceful and Aura tried to mimic him but it had been years since she was in ballet. "I have a date tonight Bruce!"

Bruce expertly spun her and pulled her back to him. "That's wonderful. Who is the lucky man?"

"I don't think you know him. Dr. Jonathan Crane?"

Bruce's face screwed up in thought. "I cannot say I have had the pleasure. Is he coming here to pick you up or would you need Alfred to drive you?"

Aura hummed softly for a few minutes. "He is coming here if that's alright with you."

"Of course Aura. I asked that you make yourself comfortable here and it is a joy to see that you have." Bruce spun her again, pulled her back, then surprised her by dipping her low. "Will you be coming home tonight?"

Aura blushed at the thought of going home with Jonathan. "Yes Bruce. He is just a friend that I met the other week."

Bruce released her hands as they stopped their dance. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small gold key. "Then you will need this. Alfred should still be awake when you get home but just in case Cinderella doesn't make it before midnight I would hate for you to be stuck out in the cold."

Aura lightly punched his shoulder and glared at his playfully hurt expression. "I will try not to wake up anyone."

Aura skipped away from the laughing billionaire. Nothing could change the elated mood she was in, not even the playful banter of the billionaire playboy. While she mourned the loss of Isis, realistically it was probably for the best. Gordon was right. If she tried to seek out the truth under Scarecrow's mask she would only put herself into more danger. After this weekend she could begin to rebuild her program. She sighed as the remembrance of the five years it took to complete washed over her. "Where could you have run off to Isis?" she whispered as she stepped into the steamy shower.

After a long shower she dressed in a simple dark black, v-cut mini dress with three quarter length sleeves. The skirt was detailed at the hem with a dark orange sunburst stripe that resembled a setting sun. She shook the water from her long white hair and walked back into the bedroom. The window had been left open to let in the surprisingly warm autumn night. She looked in her dresser's mirror to make sure her makeup was perfect when a figure behind her caught her eye. Aura inhaled a sharp breath, preparing to scream, when a latex covered hand clasped around her mouth. The figure shushed her softly and Aura took a good look through the mirror at the man behind her. He was dressed all in black with a cape and cowl in the shape of a pointed bat ears. "Please calm yourself, Aura"

Aura nodded and the man released her. She turned around quickly, her white hair flipping over her shoulder. The dresser behind met her back as she leaned against it. "You must be the Batman?"

The Batman nodded. "Net Runner I presume."

Aura sighed. "Not anymore. I guess you could say I retired. I'm trying to put all of that behind me."

"As you should." The Batman crossed the room to the window and looked out at the empty, darkening sky. "I need to talk to you about your ordeal earlier this week."

"I already told the police everything that happened." Aura said quickly. While she knew the Batman was supposed to be the Gotham equivalent to Superman, the caped man infront of her was still an imposing force. Aura idly played with the white hair sitting on her shoulder. "Whatever you need you could just ask them. Aren't you friends with them?"

The Batman settled his gaze back onto her. "I do not have the luxury of friends. I just came to warn you: stay away from Scarecrow. If anything happens I need you to call me immediately and I will take care of it."

"You'll have to get in line; it seems to be growing with everyone I talk to." Aura said a little more annoyed than she had hoped.

The Batman reached into his pocket and pulled out a small round device, similar to a compact mirror. "A communicator that will send out a distress signal to me. Just do your best to keep yourself from getting hurt until I arrive."

Aura motioned for him to place the communicator on the bed. She was wary of approaching the unfamiliar hero. "Is there something else I can help you with?" she asked when he placed the device and remained in the room with her.

The Batman approached Aura slowly. She tried to back away but only succeeded in shaking the dresser behind her. He reached into another pouch of his belt and withdrew his closed hand. "This wouldn't happen to belong to you?"

When he opened his gloved hand Aura couldn't help but gasp. "You found it!" She ran the small distance between them and swiped the Isis obelisk from his open palm. After she slipped the long silver chain around her neck, letting the obelisk dangle on top of her dress, she quickly jumped at the Batman. The Dark Knight tensed like a statue as she gave him a big hug, completely forgetting her previous apprehension. Aura broke away and stepped back. "Thank you Batman! I don't know what I would have done if I lost it for good."

The Batman retreated to the window. A large bright bat signal had appeared in the sky. Bruce Wayne had told Aura the first night she had seen the strange signal that Commissioner Gordon used it to call the Batman. "I figured it would have meant a lot to you. Keep it safe."

Aura furrowed her brows after the man disappeared over the ledge of her balcony. "Does he know about Isis?" Aura's heartbeat picked up but she quickly calmed herself. If the Batman knew what he had held in his hands there would be no way in the wide open world that he would have given it back. Aura kissed the cold metal. She quickly crossed back to a small vanity in the corner of her room that held her head stand with her black, curly wig. The human hair the wig was made from allowed her to manipulate it into whatever style she wanted. Earlier in the day she had curled soft delicate curls into the black hair. After placing her white hair into a tight bun, Aura slipped on the black curls. She played with the wig for a few seconds to try and get it to look like her real hair. She sighed as she looked at the lavender eyes in the mirror. "I hope that one day I can find the strength to stand out again. I haven't been without a wig since middle school."

Horrible memories of her younger school days crossed into her mind but she quickly shook them away at the sound of soft knock on her door. Aura grabbed a small clutch bag, the same color as the stripe on her dress. Alfred Pennyworth stood beyond the door when she opened it. "A Mister Crane is waiting in the vestibule."

"Thank you Alfred. I will see you later tonight I guess." Aura replied as they headed down the stairs.

"Shall I wait for your return?"

Aura blushed as she caught sight of Jonathan Crane's back. He was looking at one of the flower vases along the wall of the entryway. He was wearing a simple dark brown suit with a dark olive green tie and sweater vest underneath. Aura looked to Alfred. "Please don't. I have no idea when I will be back and I would hate for you to stay up just for me."

"Very well, have a wonderful night Miss Warren." Alfred gave her a quick kiss on the cheek as he walked away.

The Joker paced infront of the large television. He screamed and shot at the screen. Sparks flew from it as the bullets embedded themselves within it. Four of his best men where dead and what's worse that damn Riddler was now working with Scarecrow. What would they possibly want with Net Runner! Joker glared down at the top of his desk, littered with blueprints for Blackgate and Arkham. It seems he needed to get a little more serious with this slippery minx if his plans of controlling Gotham was ever going to become a reality. He pressed a button on the intercom near his hand. "Harley! Have the parents come around yet?" Net Runner's parents had been persistent with fighting his henchmen along the way. The father had been beaten so badly that for the past week he was unconscious. The mother was inconsolable as she cried over her bloodied husband. Two of his men had their fun with the woman against her wishes and she had the battered face to prove her fight was brief.

"Yes, Puddin'. Should I have them brought up to ya?"

Joker smiled. "Yes and have Chauncey bring a video camera with him. We have a show to shoot for the citizens of Gotham that they are never going to forget!" He cackled loudly as Harley disconnected from the intercom. "Soon Net Runner, you will come to me. No more running and no more distractions from the Rogue Gallery. I have a kingdom of chaos to create and nothing will stop me now!"


	9. Chapter 9

Aura skipped down the stairs and approached Jonathan's back slowly. The soft click of her shoes on the marble sounded out in the hall and Jonathan spun on his heel to face her. An audible breath caught in the young man's throat when his eyes cast a sweeping glance over her. Aura felt the rising heat of a blush creeping up her cheeks as she watched his eyes roam. Jonathan cleared his throat as if to speak but no sound came out. Aura giggled softly into her hand. It would seem the young man was speechless. Aura smiled at him.

"You look lovely would be a great way to start the conversation." a deep, warm voice filled the entrance hall.

Aura twirled around in surprise as Bruce Wayne waltzed into the room, an air of authority following him. "Bruce?" Her voice was level but a slight tinge of surprise laced it. Aura sneaked a peek at the man standing next to her. Jonathan's face was unreadable but his body posture had become rigid. It appeared that he was uncomfortable being in Wayne's presence. "I thought you said that you would be busy tonight with the last minute party details."

Wayne approached the two of them a smile still frozen on his face. "I'm never too busy to meet a friend of yours. Besides," he turned and locked eyes with Jonathan, "it is _my_ responsibility to ensure your safety."

Aura shot Bruce a cold stare to which he only smiled wider towards her. Jonathan stepped towards Bruce and extended his hand. "Jonathan Crane, it is a pleasure to meet a friend of Aura."

"Bruce Wayne." They clutched hands together and Aura watched Jonathan's face closely. Something flashed behind his eyes when Bruce's hand gripped his. She couldn't quite place the emotion that briefly made its appearance but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared. Bruce released Jonathan's hand shortly after.

Jonathan took a step back to be at Aura's side once again. "You can be assured that Aura will come to no harm while in my company."

"While I do not doubt that, I am still unsure. A lot has happened to Aura lately and I would hate to see her be in harm's way again."

Aura could feel a small pressure begin in her head. Anger was beginning to boil up in her veins at the way Bruce was acting. He was not her babysitter and he for sure was not her father. What right did he have to treat her friend like he was a criminal. "Bruce," she started, a slightly more forceful and dark tone than she had intended slipped from her lips, "there is no call for this hostility that..."

"It is quite all right Aura." Jonathan interjected softly beside her. "I completely understand."

"What?" Aura asked, looking at Jonathan. The man was smiling but it was not out of joy, rather the smile was that of someone placing a chess piece in just the spot they needed to checkmate their opponent. It was as if he knew something or was aware of something that no one in the room had yet to figure out. The hairs on her nape stood on end as she took in the profile of the man beside her.

"Mr. Wayne does not yet know me therefore he is apprehensive as to if I am a threat or not." Jonathan waved his hand infront of him, giving off an air of overwhelming self-confidence. "Perhaps you would like to ask me some questions about myself, put your mind at ease."

Aura looked back at Bruce expecting a smart mouthed comeback. Instead the CEO simply placed his hands into his pockets and shrugged. "Not necessary. If Aura trusts you then I suppose I can as well, Jonathan Crane." Bruce spun on his heel, waving his hand in goodbye. "You two have fun!"

* * *

Bruce Wayne slipped into his private study. A grand piano stood next to a large window overlooking the front grounds. Below he watched as Jonathan Crane opened the passenger door on a black four door sedan and ushered Aura into the car. The brief meeting with the young man did not go as Bruce had planned it. At first glance the man appeared as any normal young man their age. Nothing out of the ordinary really called out to him as Bruce approached the two people in his front hall. That was until he spoke out and Crane's eyes unfocused from Aura and locked onto him. There was something unmistakeable in those icy blue eyes, dangerous warning. Bruce was immediately put on guard when that emotion flashed across the stranger's gaze, however when Aura called out to him Jonathan had visibly relaxed. The warning in those eyes changed to caution and then slowly to cold emptiness.

The closer Bruce came to Crane the more rigid the man's posture had become. Something told Bruce that the man did not feel comfortable in a stranger's presence. But when Bruce was finished speaking, and had put an emphasis on the fact that he would ensure Aura was safe, something new flashed into Crane's eyes. Amusement.

Bruce turned to the piano and struck a few keys in a small, hollow tune. A soft clicked sounded from a nearby bookcase to reveal a hidden elevator. The elevator descended quickly down into the depths hidden underneath Wayne Manor. As Bruce walked down the darkened, cavern passageway lights ahead of him flickered on to give off just enough light to see by. The passageway opened into a large cavern after a few yards and once Bruce crossed into the cavern, large sodium lights illuminated the cave. A large computer dominated the western wall surrounded by countless workbenches. Bruce crossed to the computer seating himself comfortably as the computer started up. He clicked into a police databank and ran the name "Jonathan Crane."

Nothing came up which was a good sign that meant that he was not a criminal. Next Bruce opened a databank compiled by himself that recorded all information on the denizens of Gotham City. The databank automatically attached itself to many sources, FBI, CIA, the Pentagon, and many more, to gather information on whoever or whatever subject the user asked for. Bruce once again typed in "Jonathan Crane," then sat back and waited as the databank scanned its sources pulling any information it could find on the young stranger.

* * *

Jonathan gripped the steering wheel tightly as he pulled away from the towering Wayne Manor. _**'How dare he assume that I will hurt Aura?**__**How dare that spineless coward claim responsibility for **_**MY**_** Aura's safety! Jonathan! You will kill this man or I will do it for you. He dares to challenge our intentions towards **_**MY **_**Aura?'**_

Jonathan inwardly sighed. He stole a quick glance over to the girl in question. She was looking around his car, humming to whatever song was on the radio. He refocused on the road as the Scarecrow continued to rant and rave. _'Quiet.'_ Jonathan stated without emotion to his darker half. When Wayne had unexpectedly come into the hall Jonathan had been caught off guard. He and the Scarecrow immediately went on the defensive ready to strike out if this stranger had any intentions of harming Aura. However when Aura called out to the man, the tensions subsided and Jonathan relaxed. Scarecrow however did not. That was when it had started. Scarecrow began to rant about how Aura should not be in another man's household when she should be with them. Jonathan easily was able to push the Rogue further into his mind, silencing him. That was until Wayne implied that Jonathan had ill intentions towards Aura. Scarecrow howled and tried to claw his way forward. It took everything that Jonathan had to hold the Rogue back. He himself was only amused at the man's statements. Little did he know.

_**'You dare to silence me?!'**_

_'Yes I do. Wayne's suspicions towards us are not unfounded. He does not know us from Adam so how can he be sure that Aura will be safe with us?'_

_**'Aura is not his responsibility.'**_ Scarecrow replied flatly.

Jonathan laughed inside his mind. A smile played as his lips. _'He has every right to be suspicious. You yourself would snatch Aura away without second thought if I was not here to stop you.'_ The Scarecrow was silent and another laughed resounded in Jonathan's mind. _'See? Besides he is just doing us a favor.'_

_**'Elaborate.'**_ Scarecrow ordered.

_'Wayne is protecting our Aura until such a time as she is willing to come to us.'_

_**'You are moving to slowly, Jonathan. I want Aura. I need Aura. We need her.'**_

The pleading tone that the Scarecrow took, while surprising coming from the Rogue, scared Jonathan. He could feel a shiver shake down his spine. If Aura rebuked their feelings or advances, if she refused them, Jonathan feared what the Scarecrow would do. How far was the Rogue willing to go? When something concerning Aura arose Jonathan could feel his once iron grip on the Rogue slipping. It was getting harder to control him the closer they came to their Aura. _'Patience or you will loose her. If you put your trust in me I can guarantee that she will be ours and we will never have to let her go.'_ Jonathan could feel the Rogue smile and he floated further back into his mind. That promise should keep him at bay for awhile.

A soft touch on his arm drug Jonathan from his mind and back into reality. He looked over to Aura as she withdrew her hand. "You okay?"

Jonathan furrowed his brows and smiled. "I could not be any better. Why do you ask?"

Aura frowned and looked down at her lap. Jonathan felt the overwhelming need to reach out to her but pushed it back. Scarecrow had become deathly silent waiting to hear the reason for Aura's sudden sadness. "I'm sorry about Bruce. I didn't think that he would act like that."

Jonathan smiled. He slowed at a red light and took a deep breath. Quickly before he could stop himself, he reached out and grasped Aura's hand. She looked up at him and as Jonathan met her unnatural lavender gaze his heart skipped a beat. Comfortingly he said, "I am not in the least bit bothered by what Mr. Wayne said. He was just trying to feel me out and make sure I'm not a kidnapper or worse." Scarecrow howl with a grating laughter. _'Something amusing?'_

_**'Worse? Like a Rogue?'**_

Jonathan ignored him. Aura gave him a smile and entwined her fingers in his. "Thank you for being understanding." Jonathan nodded and pulled through the intersection as the light turned green. "So where are we going?"

"Tsk, tsk. It is a surprise Aura." Jonathan replied softly.

A few minutes later they pulled into the parking lot of a small French cafe. Jonathan quickly stepped from the car, coming around to help Aura from the car. She smiled as he offered his arm to her. "I've never had French before."

"I figured as much. Not a very popular cuisine in this city but a marvel once you discover it." Jonathan could feel his heart beating wildly as he led Aura into the small restaurant. The hostess led them to the quiet table Jonathan frequented. Aura blushed as he pulled her chair out for her, tucking it in as she sat. Jonathan choose to sit beside her. "Would you like me to order for you?"

Aura smiled as she looked over the menu. "You come here often?"

"Yes actually." Jonathan pointed a few of the menu items, his favorites, out to Aura. The waiter took his order after bringing them wine. "I think you will enjoy dinner."

Aura blushed again. "I would have enjoyed fast food as long as you were here." A pale hand suddenly clasped her mouth and her blush darkened considerably. Jonathan felt his own cheeks becoming hot but he quickly controlled it. "I mean, that didn't come out right." Aura sighed in annoyance at her outburst. "I don't get to go out often ever since I moved to Gotham. It is nice to be able to enjoy the city with a friend."

Jonathan smiled at her and laughed softly to clear her apprehension. One advantage he had over her was his ability to gauge her emotional level and body language, a side effect of his career path. They made small talk as their food arrived. Jonathan wanted badly to ask Aura questions about her past so that he could learn more about her but he waited. He needed her to be calmer and more comfortable in his presence before he felt that she would be willing to disclose any information he asked for. Likewise he was unprepared to answer questions about himself. Jonathan knew one thing was for certain, he would not lie to Aura. If she was to be his then she would need to know everything about him Only then would Jonathan know for sure if she would accept him.

As their plates were cleared away, Aura asked for a slice of cake for dessert. She turned to Jonathan and locked her eyes on his. It was amazing, she was the first person that didn't flinch or recoiled at the blinding intensity of his eyes. If anything the girl seemed drawn more to him. "So, can I ask you something personal?" she asked softly. Over the course of the meal Aura was relaxing more and more.

Jonathan nodded. _'Please not about work. Please not about work. Please not about work.'_

"What do you do for a living?" she questioned, an innocently curious tone in her voice.

_'Fuck!'_

_**'Language Jonny. You know I don't appreciate your little outbursts when I am relaxing.'**_ Scarecrow chastised him. The Rogue had taken to dark recesses of their mind, content that his Aura was relaxed and safe with just Jonathan.

_'What do I tell her? She can't know about you yet, she wouldn't understand.'_

_**'Seriously? She only asked about your job not your extracurricular activities. And you say I need to learn how to relax?'**_

Jonathan inwardly sighed and scoffed at his own paranoia. He returned Aura's warm smile. "I am the head psychiatrist at The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane." He held his breath as the news washed over the young woman infront of him. With baited breath he waited for her to laugh or worse, leave.

Aura looked confused as she seemed to consider the information. "Is that where they send the Gotham Rouges like Joker and Scarecrow?"

Scarecrow perked up and listened closely to their conversation. The mention of the Rouge's name sent pleasure through the dark one's form. "Why yes it is, though neither of those Rouges are currently there."

Aura was silent for a few moments before, in a small voice, she asked. "Doesn't it scare you?"

Jonathan's brows met in the middle of his forehead as confusion overcame him. Was she concerned about him? "Scared of what?"

"Well," she paused before locking her eyes on his, "of the Rouges? They are dangerous and would not hesitate to kill you or anyone in the hospital I am sure. It doesn't scare you to work with dangerous people like that?"

Jonathan laughed softly. The waiter came and placed Aura's cake down. Jonathan slipped his card to the waiter without letting Aura see it. He did not want her to argue over paying the bill with him. This was his pleasure in being able to treat her. If he could he would give her the world tonight but it was much to early. "I find the Rouge's company enlightening, not the least bit frightening. You see, Aura, in order to overcome your fears you must meet them head on. Grasp the thing that fears you the most and twist the knife into its heart. Otherwise that fear will grow and grow until it consumes you." A smile had crept onto his lips as Aura listened intently. "I respect the mind's power over the body. Its why I do what I do."

"You seem to be intrigued by the mention of fear and the mind." Aura smiled. "Passionate even."

"Fear and the effects it has on the body has been the very thing that has drawn me to the psychiatric world for so long, but I'll probably bore you if I keep talking about my interests."

"What?" Jonathan was taken aback by the sudden harsh tone in Aura's voice. Aura pushed her empty plate away and sighed. "Please do not assume that I would not like to discuss your interests. Do you assume that I will not understand them or that I would not be able to hold an intelligent conversation about your field?"

Jonathan was speechless for a few seconds as Aura's sudden anger surprised him. "Aura I..."

She held up a hand to silence him. "Jonathan, I apologize for my outburst. I just do not like when men or anyone assume that I am not capable of understanding something. I'm not as dumb as I appear."

"I never would call you dumb Aura. I simply did not want to..."

Another hand came up and Jonathan fell silent. Aura smiled after a few tense seconds. "It's okay. You didn't know Jonathan." Jonathan led the way again back to his car. After settling Aura in the passenger seat and himself in the driver's seat he negotiated his way onto the city streets once again. Scarecrow was berating his failings at dinner conversation and Jonathan silently stewed over it. Suddenly Aura spoke, quietly as if she was unsure if she should talk about what she was going to say. "I studied psychiatry when I was younger. I am sort of a child prodigy. The mind of a genius someone once told me."

Jonathan looked over to her after pulling into the movie theater's parking lot. He turned his car off but made no move to exit the vehicle. Aura was torn between talking about herself and remaining silent as she had been the past few minutes since her last statement. Using as soft a voice as he could muster Jonathan spoke, "Did you want to be a doctor?"

Aura laughed softly, sadness hidden behind her tone. "No. My mother was sick."

"Mentally ill, I take it?" A small nod from Aura. Ah, so that was why. "So you wanted to understand her mind?"

Aura suddenly shook her head. "I wanted to save her. You see my mother would go into sporadic fits of rage where she would try to kill me or my father. My father would always be there to calm her down and restrain her if necessary, but there was no treatment for her past locking her away in an asylum." Jonathan reached out hesitantly. He placed his hand on her leg, his thumb gently stroking her dress. He remained silent, not wanting to pressure her into revealing what she didn't want to. "One Christmas she attacked me when dad was not home." Aura pulled down her dress to reveal a deep scar on the top of her pale breast.

Scarecrow growled dangerously at the sight of the scar. Before Jonathan realized what he was doing the thumb of his free hand was gently tracing the scar. Aura shook softly under his touch and her head bowed lower. "Your mother did this?"

A nod. "She took the carving knife to my chest. I tried to run from her but she only grabbed my leg and forced me to the ground. She was so heavy." Something wet fell from her face and hit Jonathan's hand. "Father came home and pulled her away from me. That was the first time I had seen him so angry. Not at my mother or at me, but at himself. If he had not had to leave us to go to work then I would not have gotten hurt. I had lost so much blood that I passed out. When the authorities came they took mother away to the asylum."

Aura stopped, her face still hidden by her dark hair. "What happened?" Jonathan gently prodded.

"I woke up from a coma six months later. Mother had collapsed one of my lungs and the doctors were able to repair it but being I was so young they did not want me to wake up before it had the chance to become strong again. It took another three months before father took me to see my mother. That asylum...I will never forget it." She stopped again and looked up, through the windshield. Jonathan was startled to see that the tears had disappeared from her eyes and instead were replaced by an intense hatred. "You could smell the fear and desperation as you walked through the sterile halls. Mother was kept in a secluded ward by herself. She had attacked many of the orderlies and guards. They feared she would attack herself so she was restrained and left alone." Aura closed her eyes. "When they released her a year later, functionally stable, she returned home. While she was in the asylum I had dove into studying everything I could about the human mind and its workings. I wanted to save her so she would never have to visit that awful place again. I loved her and the thought of her being locked up all alone for days on end saddened me."

Jonathan couldn't stop himself. "Aura, a disease like your mother had is incurable. There was nothing you could have done."

A sad smile graced her pale lips. "You don't understand. I saved her."

* * *

Batman landed gracefully on the roof of the movie theater. The black car below was visible as were the occupants. They seemed to be talking, Aura looking out of the windshield. Nothing amiss, Batman shot his grappling hook to the right and swung off towards the police station. This was the second time he had checked in on them. Jonathan seemed to be the trustworthy doctor he had read about in the Gotham University newspaper. It seemed his fears about the doctor's intentions towards Aura were unfounded after all.

* * *

Riddler smiled as the guard passed his cell. For the past few hours he was timing the rotation of the guards. Only one was assigned to his cell block instead of the normal four. Crane was right, they were understaffed tonight. It took two hours for the guard to return to this block which meant that he had a second circuit around the neighboring cell block. Nygma stood up after the click of the door sounded at the end of the hall signaling the guard's departure. He had two hours and he intended to use them. Quickly he donned his familiar green suit, placing the bowler hat on his head with a satisfying flourish. He twirled his cane as he pulled out his cell phone. Hopefully Net Runner wasn't too busy to take a minute of time away from the good doctor.

After dialing in the number he waited patiently. "Hello?" a soft voice sounded.

"Good evening my little Net Runner! Have you the time for a riddle?" he quarried in excitement. Nygma could hear the voices of many people in the background. One of them being Crane as he questioned her about a movie. "Oh, pick the horror movie. Trust me, he will love it."

"What? How would you know?" Net Runner said in a quiet tone. "How about the Bonneville Massacre?" she asked, muffled. Her hand must have been covering the speaker. "Can you excuse me for a minute Jonathan?" After a few minutes, Nygma could hear the unmistakeable opening and closing of a door. The echo of her footfalls signaled she was in a bathroom. "What do you want Riddler? I'm in the middle of something."

"How is the date with Crane going?" Riddler asked.

"How did you know?" Net Runner asked in a flat, cold tone.

"Chill out, little Net Runner. Me and Jonathan go way back. We're good friends." Nygma picked at his nails as he leaned against the wall of his cell.

"He's your doctor isn't he Riddler?" A harsh laugh. Net Runner had forgone the innocent, soft voice of her normal self. It seemed she had a little Rogue in her, however small and when addressed as or acting as Net Runner brought that out. Nygma knew however that to call her a Rogue would be incorrect, she was more of a curious troublemaker. Like himself, she couldn't resist a challenge and Nygma knew he would need to play on that if he hoped to get out of Arkham tonight.

"Of course!" Nygma looked at his watch. "I am calling in that favor Net Runner."

An exasperated sigh. "Not right now. I'm busy."

"Are you afraid you couldn't do it?"

"I'm sure whatever meaningless task you have would not be difficult, Nygma. At least not for me." The acidity of her tone sent shivers down his spine. Apparently the great hacker didn't like to have her abilities challenged.

* * *

Aura glared hard at the tile of the bathroom floor. The playful laughter on the other end of the line issued. "Now, that is the Net Runner I remember. I promise I will not take up too much of your time and before your movie starts you will be back in Jonathan Crane's arms."

Aura closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. She knew what he wanted, freedom from Arkham Asylum. A simple task, Isis could do it without fail. She sighed loudly. If she hurried, Jonathan would not even miss her. "Fine, I'm assuming you want to get out of your cell."

"Not just the cell Net Runner, the entire island would be nice." Riddler said. "The guard will return from his round in two hours, you have to hurry."

"Fine but you better listen to everything I have to tell you." Aura hung up the phone and pulled Isis from her dress. The obelisk seemed to glitter in delight at her touch as she removed the covering and clicked it into her phone. A few seconds later, Aura was hacked into the Arkham Asylum security systems, child's play. She could see the entire layout of the asylum before her. Using one of Isis' functions she made the program highlight all biological heat sources. After taking away the island's pests and leaving just the human inhabitants she used the cameras to make Isis narrow down the bio signatures to just the guards, in red, and one lone green speck standing still in a cell. Aura hacked into the cameras in that cell block and brought up the one pointed at Riddler's cell. The Rogue was leaning up against the wall waiting calmly, staring at his phone. Quickly Isis isolated the single intercom in that cell block and Aura spoke, her voice carrying through it. "Riddler?"

Confusion covered the Rouge's face as he looked up and around his cell. "I have hacked into the intercom systems as well as the cameras. I will lead you out of Arkham but you have to follow my instructions carefully." The Rouge's lips moved in what Aura no doubt guessed as a stupid remark. "I cannot hear you so just nod if you understand." Riddler nodded towards the camera in his cell. "Please put the cell phone you have into your breast pocket and leave the camera exposed. I can use it if you come into a blind area."

Isis was easily able to secure the phone's camera, placing the small video feed into her lower screen. Aura pressed into a small box at the end of the cell, the cell block's main controls. Within seconds the door to Riddler's cell opened and the Rogue strolled through, towards the main door. "Did I tell you to move yet?" Aura mused through the intercom system. The Riddler glared up at the camera infront of him, Isis automatically switching to the closet camera to him at Aura's command to follow him took effect. The main cell block door clicked open and Aura watched closely for any bio signals near his location. "Alright, head through the door and to your left. At the end of the hall turn right and follow that hall to the four way intersection." The Riddler slipped from the cell block, Aura secured the door behind him. The Rogue quickly dashed down the hall moving faster than Aura expected. "Slow down Riddler, I may have to change your route if someone is coming."

The Riddler complied and began to walk. When he reached the intersection he stopped. The intercom in this hall was not registering as working. Aura quickly compensated and hacked into the cell phone's speaker feature. While this was a smarter way to communicate being closer to the Riddler and mobile, moving with him, it had a tendency to create static. The last thing the Rogue or Aura needed was for a command to come in broken. "Go straight and make a left at the end of the hall. Get into the elevator." Aura spoke through the phone. Once in the elevator she hacked into the intercoms again. She made the elevator descend to the ground level.

This level contained the offices and medical ward for this cell block. While the island's blueprints indicated that this medical ward was only a satellite office of the large medical building it was heavily guarded. Too dangerous for the Rogue to exit from. He would need to take the employee entrance in the west wing. "When the elevator stops go left." The Riddler peeked his head out and took a left. When he was halfway down the hall, his green dot moving easily on the screen, Isis sounded a soft alarm. A red dot was moving down a side hall and at the rate Riddler was moving they would meet. "Quickly, get in the office to your right." Aura opened the lock for the Riddler and the Rogue ducked into the room, crouching behind the door.

The camera for the office loaded and Aura smiled as she saw the name on the door. "ENARC NAHTANOJ" was printed on the door's glass. "You're in Jonathan's office." Aura whispered, using the phone's speaker once again. "Stay still for a minute. The guard just stopped outside the door. I think he heard you." Aura flashed back to the camera in the hall. A dark skinned man with a hooked hand was looking at Jonathan's office door in suspicion. The guard pulled his badge out and swiped it on the door's lock. Aura quickly disabled the door's lock, freezing the lock in place. The guard pushed his shoulder against the door. She needed to get rid of him. Using Isis to hack into the communications dispatch center of the asylum she sent out a page to the guard. "BLOCK D, PATIENT ATTACK TRANSFER GUARD." The guard looked down at his pager and immediately bolted down the hall towards cell block D.

When she switched back to the office camera, Riddler was seated behind Jonathan's desk with his legs kicked up casually. Aura could see a green piece of paper sitting on top of the desk. "You can't help yourself can you? Did you have to leave him a riddle?" The Riddler grinning maniacally up at the camera. "You are clear to leave, quickly run down the hall. Take the third right and you'll be in the parking lot." The Riddler nodded and in a flash was out the door and down the hall. Isis easily tracked him as he entered the parking lot. Within a few seconds Riddler was crouched behind a car. Aura used one of the lot's cameras to zoom in on the vehicle. Luckily the car was a new model and Isis was easily able to gain access to the car's computer system. Aura unlocked the driver's door, beeping the horn once. The Riddler locked back at the car and tested the door. Finding it empty he climbed in. Aura started up the car and hacked into the speakers. "There, my debt is repaid. You will find the guard in the gate shack asleep and the gate is opened for the next five minutes. You are on your own."

Aura turned Isis off, disconnecting herself from Arkham's security systems. While the threat of being caught breaking the Rogue out was impossible, Isis was impossible to track, her stomach still twisted into a knot. She had helped one of the dangerous Gotham Rouge's escape imprisonment in the same Asylum that Jonathan was responsible for. Would he get into trouble for the escapee? Aura replace Isis' cover and sighed. At least her debt to the Riddler was replaced and she didn't have to help him again. Admittedly, the breakout had made her heart race in excitement. Becoming the Net Runner once again was thrilling. Her phone vibrated twice, two texts had been received. She opened the first one.

"Thanks for the help, Runner. Pleasure doing business with you, enjoy your movie. Don't get too scared, it may excite _him_ too much. Mr. E."

Him? Did he mean Jonathan? Jonathan would probably laugh at her for getting scared at the movie. Speaking of which she looked at the clock on her phone. Surprisingly, the breakout from Arkham only took five minutes. When she was in the zone of Net Runner time just seemed to stop. The second text was brought up.

"Hey, I'm sorry for being hostile towards Dr. Crane. Please extend a welcome invitation to my Halloween party tomorrow night. Wayne."

Aura smiled as she thought about a second date with Jonathan so soon after this one. Would he accept? Would he want to come after her stupid outburst at dinner and then the story in the car? Aura didn't know why she disclosed that memory with him. Jonathan was just so easy to talk to, he understood what she was feeling. More importantly when she looked into his eyes there was no judgment, just an accepting listener. He had asked her how she saved her mother after she told him she did but she kindly declined to tell him. The last thing he would want to know is about how she became Net Runner. That was behind her, or so she thought. A Rogue did just escape prison thanks to her. Another sigh escaped her as she left the bathroom. Maybe one day she would be able to tell him everything but until Joker was caught and Scarecrow, not to mention the unknown man from Metropolis, she would have to keep it from him. For now.


	10. Chapter 10

Aura exited the bathroom after washing her hands. Jonathan was sitting on one of the benches in the lobby of the theater, his back facing her direction. Aura smiled mischievously as she made her way as quietly as she could towards his back. While his attention seemed focused on the board of movie times, Aura crept ever closer. With only a few inches separating her from the target, Aura inhaled deeply and raised her hands above her head. Right before she was able to bring her hands down to clasp the young man's shoulders, Jonathan turned. An amused smirk crept onto his face as Aura was frozen in her spot. Aura sighed and let the air out she was holding, a blush darkening her pale cheeks.

"Is everything alright Aura?" Jonathan asked, laughter tracing his tone.

Aura smiled at him as he stood up and offered his arm to her. Their movie was just beginning to seat. Jonathan led her towards the darkened theater. "I'm sorry. I thought I could scare you."

A chuckle escaped Jonathan's lips. "I am not so easily scared, Aura."

"I thought I was being quiet." Jonathan selected their seats, towards the back of the theater. Aura sat beside him before continuing. "So what gave me away?"

Jonathan stared at the blank theater screen before turning his icy blue eyes on Aura. "You did nothing wrong. I suppose working for so long in Arkham helps one to develop a preternatural sense of caution that someone or something is sneaking up behind them."

"Is it that bad there?" Aura asked, concern in her voice.

Jonathan reached for her hand that rested in her lap, patting it softly before withdrawing his touch. "It can be if you are not careful."

Aura bit her lip, nervous to know the next answer. "Have you ever been attacked there?"

Jonathan locked his icy eyes back onto Aura's lavender gaze. "Yes." When Aura looked down at the seat in front of them Jonathan gently reached out and pulled her chin back to face him. "When I first started I was not careful and found myself alone with one of the more dangerous inmates. That was the first and last time I was attacked." He smiled warmly and released his soft grip on her chin. "I am more careful and have learned ways to defuse almost any hostile situation I may come across while in my Asylum."

Aura returned his warm smile. "Good, I would hate for you to be hurt Jonathan." The lights dimmed as the previews for the movie started. Aura settled back into her chair, acutely aware that Jonathan was still smiling to himself as he watched the screen.

* * *

Jonathan sighed as the movie's heroin made yet another mistake, running into the cellar to escape the crazed killer. Quickly he stole a glance to the woman on his right. Aura was enthralled with the screen, her lips parted slightly as she waited with baited breath for the killer to find the hiding heroin. A smile crept itself onto the young man's lips as he watched her eyes darting across the screen.

_**'They call this a horror movie?'**_ The Scarecrow moaned inside Jonathan's head.

Jonathan chuckled at the obvious annoyance of his counterpart. _'What's wrong Scarecrow? Are you not entertained?'_

Scarecrow growled low. _**'Who would find this trash entertaining? There is absolutely nothing scary about this besides the ineptitude of that blonde.'**_

_'You do realize this is a fake movie right? It was solely created for the entertainment of the masses.' _Jonathan looked at Aura out of the corner of his eye. _'Besides, just look at our Aura. She is so focused on the movie, thoroughly enjoying herself.'_

Jonathan could feel the Scarecrow smiling. _**'When will she be ours?'**_

_'Patience, she is warming up to us.'_

Scarecrow issued a low growl out of his frustration. Jonathan shook his head gently, dismissing his dark half. Refocusing his attention to the movie, he watched as the blonde heroin stalked deeper into the cellar of the abandoned house. Ominous music began to softly play as the heroin reached to turn on the bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling. As the light bulb flashed on the serial killer's face was illuminated for the brief second before the bulb blew out once again. Aura inhaled sharply from the sudden appearance of the killer, making a startled squeak of surprise. Her hands flew to Jonathan's arm, clutching the cloth of his jacket tightly.

A sharp pain cut across his forehead as the Scarecrow clawed to be released. _**'I can smell it, Jonathan. Her shock. I can feel her heart rate increasing. Her heart pounding to be released from her breast. I can hear her sharp, escalated breathing.'**_ The Scarecrow moaned softly, longingly. _**'Her fear is delicious. Take her now Jonathan.'**_

Jonathan grit his teeth together sharply as he tried desperately to push the Scarecrow into the deeper corners of his mind. The Rogue fought against him, causing the pain and pressure in his head to increase. _'Stop it you fool! You will ruin everything!' _Jonathan closed his eyes for a few minutes as he tried to control his breathing. _'Listen to me, my dear friend. We could take Aura back to the safe house but what then? How long before that man, Wayne, reports her missing? He knows that she was with me so how long before the police start hunting us down? Aura would be ripped from us the instant they find her.'_

**_'I will never let them take _MY_ Aura away.'_** The Rogue was pushing against Jonathan's defenses with ever increasing strength.

_'Then you have to listen to me. Trust me. If we take her now, we will not hold her long before the police and Batman track her down. Let me continue my actions and I will guarantee you that she will be ours, willingly and completely.'_ Jonathan's breathing was becoming more labored as the Rogue continued to fight to be released. _'Trust me Scarecrow. Please,'_ he pleaded.

After a few tense minutes, Scarecrow slowly receded into the darkness of Jonathan's mind. _**'I will trust you Jonathan but I warn you: my patience is running thin. I need to feel Aura and her fear soon or you will regret the time you have wasted.'**_

A light sheen of sweat covered Jonathan's body causing his undershirt to cling to his slight frame. Slowly Jonathan opened his eyes just in time to watch as the serial killer fell into the blonde's half-cocked plan to capture him. Aura was still focused on the movie, hardly even moving as her eyes soaked in the movie's final scenes. Her slender fingers were still clutching onto his arm. Jonathan smiled and reached over with his free arm. With the utmost tenderness, Jonathan released her fingers from his arm before wrapping it around her shoulders. Aura leaned against his chest and tightened her new hold on Jonathan's hand. The young man smiled as he felt her lay her head against his shoulder. Everything about their position was foreign to the doctor but he knew it felt right.

* * *

Aura smiled to herself when the movie ended and she looked down at her hand entwined in Jonathan's. As the credits began to roll she looked over to her companion. Immediately her eyes locked with a pair of icy blue eyes staring back at her. Aura smiled but as she looked closer at Jonathan's face her own smile faded. With a concerned tone she reached out and stroked his cheek with her hand. "Are you feeling okay Jonathan? You're so pale."

Jonathan widened his eyes slightly before smiling reassuringly. "Everything is fine, Aura."

Aura returned his smile and hooked her arms in his as he led them from the movie theater. Jonathan rested his free hand on top of Aura's arm as they walked. "So, are you doing anything tomorrow night Jonathan? For Halloween?"

Aura watched him nervously. A shadow from a passing tree fell over his face, hiding the distant look in the man's eyes, as they stopped beside his parked car. Jonathan had yet to respond to Aura's question which caused her tensions to rise even more. He seemed to be deep in his own thoughts but after a few more tense seconds, his eyes seemed to refocus on Aura's face and his warm smile returned. Though Aura noticed that the smile never reached his icy eyes. "I had plans but they are not set in stone. Is something on your mind, Aura?"

Aura could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as her name was softly whispered from his lips, as though he was savoring the feel of the name leaving his own throat. To hide her discomfort and embarrassment at the coming question she turned away from the young man, looking out across the dark parking lot. "I was wondering if you would like to come Mr. Wayne's Halloween Party tomorrow night. It is a costume party and I don't know if you would be interested in it, but I am going to be there and," Aura sighed as she let her words drift off. Her blush only deepened as the realization of her rambling words drifted in her mind. Jonathan reminded silent. "I would like it if I could see you again, Jonathan."

A few quiet minutes passed with only the autumn bugs chirping in the early evening. Aura felt strong, slender fingers grasp her shoulder firmly pulling her to turn back to the man beside her. Once facing the man, Aura kept her eyes on the ground unable to control the burning in her cheeks. With one hand still on her shoulder, Aura felt a second sent of slender fingers grasping her chin and forcing her head to straighten. Jonathan's icy eyes locked onto hers, holding her gaze with his as his eyes seemed to search her own. The hand on her shoulder traveled down. The fingers wrapping around her waist and coming to rest of the small of her back. Jonathan leaned back against the passenger side of his car, pulling Aura to him. Her body was pressed hard against his slender frame. Aura's hands flew up to rest against his chest. Even through the clothes he wore, Aura could feel the strength behind his small frame. The muscles in his chest flexing taunt under her touch. The hand that once held her chin in place slid down and wrapped around the side of her neck. With a final look straight into her lavender eyes, Jonathan pulled her head closer to his face.

* * *

"I would do anything for you. You would only need to ask," Jonathan whispered, his warm breath brushing across her lips. The urge to seal his lips upon the woman pressed against him was almost overwhelming however Jonathan was fully aware of what effect the temptation would have on Aura.

The Scarecrow groaned longingly inside his mind, clawing at the border between their psyches. _**'So close, Jonathan. Let me out so that I may taste our Aura.'**_

_'Patience my old friend. She is not quite ready for the eagerness and earnest that you would provide.' _Jonathan sounded his own dark laugh inside his mind. _'Tenderness and passion is what Aura needs right now. To know that we love and cherish her is important at this moment, not the overwhelming hardness and roughness that you would surely provide.'_

The Rogue silenced himself as he cowed back to the recesses of their shared mind. Jonathan returned his focus to the woman in his embrace. Aura's eyes had drooped after the whispered words he said. Jonathan was about to release his hold on the woman in his arms when the unexpected happened. For the first time in his life, a woman willingly closed the distance between them. Aura pressed her lips hesitantly against his own, her eyes squeezing tightly closed. Jonathan, out of reflex, tightened his hold on Aura and pulled her closer to him. Jonathan felt his own longing rise as he moved to deepen the kiss. His tongue dragged along Aura's lower lip, sucking ever so gently on it to encourage her to part her sweet lips.

Jonathan pulled her closer to him, desperately trying to have her body as close to his as possible. Aura moaned softly as he slipped his tongue into her parted lips and proceeded to explore. Her taste was even sweeter than he could ever have anticipated and his longing and desire to make this woman grew ever more, matching the Rogue locked inside his mind. After what felt like an eternity he parted from Aura, breathless and euphoric. Aura slowly opened her eyes gazing up into his own icy gaze. Jonathan reluctantly lessened his hold on Aura to allow her to move away from him but, again to his surprise, she made no move. Instead Aura reached up to hold his face in her small, pale hands. She pulled him down so that he was once again closer to her face and pressed her lips to his in a brief kiss.

This time when she pulled away Aura stepped back and smiled warmly to him, a light blush still on her cheeks and her lips swollen from their kiss. Jonathan remained leaning against his car, fearing that he would be unable to support himself should he move. After a long silence in which Jonathan simply was content to gaze upon the object of so many of his sleepless nights, Aura cleared her throat. Jonathan chuckled softly. "What is so funny, Jonathan Crane?" she asked, her hands going to her hips.

Jonathan shook his head and sighed, gazing to the side. "You would not want to know. You would find it pathetic." Aura stepped closer to him and poked him roughly in his chest. Jonathan rubbed the spot with mock hurt on his face. "What was that for?"

Aura crossed her hands over her chest. "I asked you what was so funny which means I do want to know, Dr. Crane. So what was so funny?"

Jonathan sighed once more and felt his own cheeks beginning to burn though years of practice allowed him to control the urge to blush. "This was the first time I have ever been kissed." _'A lie, though better she thinks me inexperienced than learn about Scarecrow's extracurricular activities.'_

A dark, growling laugh sounded from his mind. _**'Yes, spare her the knowledge of the countless women I tortured and raped so that I could bathe in their fear.'**_

Aura chuckled softly, smiling. "I find that hard to believe but I suppose it fits."

Jonathan furrowed his brows, reading to build his walls up at the slightest instance of her spurn. He was ready to unleash the Rogue on her should her once warm embrace turn cold like so many others. "What do you mean?"

Aura moved closer to him and grasped the handle of the passenger door of his car. Jonathan unlocked it and moved aside to allow her to open it. Before she slipped into the darkened car she locked her beautiful lavender eyes, glowing in the low light of the street lamps, on him. "Just that you are so young yet one of the heads in your field. I can easily see how you sacrificed your personal life so that your professional one could grow, a trait that I admire in you."

Jonathan arched his eyebrow at her words. "You admire my sacrifice?"

Aura gently shook her head. "I admire your ambition and drive. I admire the notion that you seem to know what you want in your life and nothing in this world will stop you from achieving just that."

* * *

Joker smiled as he reviewed the video tape freshly recorded. Once it ended the Rogue pulled the tape out and stashed it into his jacket pocket. Harley bounced into the room, her blonde curls swaying as she walked. "The boys are ready Puddin'."

Joker's smile widened as he grasped Harley's neck tightly pulling her to him. Panic filled the blonde as the Joker squeezed her slender neck tighter. "I expect that you will not fail me tonight, Harley. If you do," he tightened his grip until tears began to slip from her blue eyes, "I will not hesitate to cut loose ends."

Roughly he released the woman, throwing her unceremoniously to the ground. Harley scooted back away from him until her back hit the wall. Slowly she regained her breathing and rose from the floor. "I will not fail you Puddin'. The boys are ready to cause distractions across the city to ensure that Bats and the police are divided."

"I will join in the festivities then but remember," he approached Harley, the woman cowering from him fully aware of his tension and wrath. "You hold the most important piece of our plan. Without that tape, Net Runner will slip from my fingers once again as no doubt that shit eater Scarecrow has his talons in the girl. Tomorrow night when this tape airs across the networks, she will know her place as will the Rouges that defy me. They will know that I get what I want and nothing they do will stop me."

* * *

Jonathan stretched to his full height as water from his morning shower rolled down his chest and stomach. The towel from the sink was snatch up and roughly run through his brown hair. As the young man walked across his room, the sun glinting off his scarred torso, he toweled off most of the water from his body. Jonathan threw himself back onto his bed, intent on enjoying the last moments he had before he had to dress for work. The towel lay haphazardly across his lap as a hand slipped beneath the soft cotton. Memories of the previous night replayed over in his mind. He took Aura back to Wayne Manor where Jonathan once again found himself pressed against his car with Aura pushing herself into him. Willingly and eagerly she clashed her lips with his, waging a war with their tongues. Jonathan was content to give her full control of their kiss, welcoming her embrace and caress as she explored his chest with her fingers. Though he would have fully enjoyed having her fingers dance across his bare skin, he would not push her into anything she was not ready for. It was imperious that she set the pace of their relationship.

_**'You must share the taste of our Aura with me. Is she as sweet as I imagine?'**_ Scarecrow whispered in his head.

"Sweeter still, my friend. The taste of her tongue is beyond angelic. The simple touch of her lips was enough to send my mind into overdrive." Jonathan whispered aloud, his hand gripping himself tighter as he lengthened his strokes.

_**'Jonny, you tease me so. Why do you not let me have a taste of the fruits of your labor?'**_

The sickeningly sweet tone of the Scarecrow's request struck a raw nerve within Jonathan's breast. Years of masterful deceit allowed him to hide the jealous anger that flared. _'Soon, Scarecrow.'_ he simply stated. Jonathan lost the passion of his thoughts after the request of his darker half. After drying the last water from his skin he began to dress in a simple black suit with black vest underneath. As he was putting his wallet and phone into his pockets the latter vibrated softly in his hand. Curious at who would contact him this early in the morning Jonathan opened the message on his smartphone.

"Hey Jonathan. I had a wonderful night and can't wait to see you at the party! I hope you love my costume! Don't forget to dress up too. -Aura"

A smile graced his lips as he replied back. Truthfully Jonathan had given no thought to a costume. His thoughts set upon Aura alone. He ate a modest breakfast and slipped into his car. Once in his office inside Arkham did he allow his thoughts to turn to a darker side. _'Your plans for this night, are they completed?'_

_**'Yes, I need only a hour to set the bombs on a timer and then you could be at your little party.'**_ The Scarecrow replied.

_'One hour? I shall leave here early then to allow you ample time as soon as the sun goes down. Are you sure that nothing will endanger Aura?'_ Jonathan divided his attention with his darker half and the patient files infront of him. He read over the new in-patients, marking revisions to their care plans as he felt necessary.

A dark growl issued from the Rogue. _**'At your request I have moved all of my activities from around the grounds of Wayne Manor. You easily forget, Jonathan, that I will not harm Aura either.'**_

Jonathan collected the completed files some time later and exited his office. The stroll to the medical ward was blissfully quiet. Once he was in the confines of the large medical building, he easily found his way through the corridors. The lead medical doctor was awaiting his arrival, sitting behind his overly large, cluttered desk. Jonathan stepped in and placed the patient files onto the desk, adding to the mountain of paperwork. Doctor Barrow gazed up at the younger doctor, the wrinkles on his face becoming deeper as a smile broke out from his face.

"Dr. Crane! If I didn't know any better I would say you had a good night." the older man leaned back in his chair, wiping sweat from his brow.

Jonathan narrowed his eyes at the man and mastered the smile that seemed to permanently fix itself on his lips since the past night. "I am afraid I have no idea what you are talking about, Dr. Barrow."

His statement only seemed to encourage the man. "Jonathan, Jonathan. For years I have seen you stalking down these halls, a scowl permanently etched onto that marble face of yours. This is the first time I have seen you smile and I mean genuinely smile." Barrow stood up and moved to a small coffeepot in the corner of his office, pouring himself a cup and offering one to his colleague. "Now there are only two things I can think of to put such a warm smile on a man's face. One is news of an elevated position in life but seeing as you are at the top of your field, I do not believe that is the cause." Barrow smiled wider and pointed a finger to Jonathan. "The other reason would be a woman."

Jonathan shifted uncomfortably under the older man's gaze. The twinkle in the man's eye was unnerving. With every dealing that Jonathan had with Jack Barrow one thing always seemed to stand out to him: there was something about this man that prickled the hairs on the back of his neck. The man always seemed to be able to guess exactly what was on someone's mind. Whether the man had psychic abilities or simply was an excellent judge of character, only mastered from so many years in the medical field, Jonathan was unsure. Jonathan remained silent, unsure of whether to let anything of his personal life slide into his professional.

Barrow simply smiled wider at his silence. "Ah, so I have hit the mark." The old doctor swiftly moved from behind his desk and came around, clasping Jonathan's shoulder in a warm embrace. "Congratulations my boy, you of all people here deserve it with all the hard work you put into this asylum. So do you have any holiday plans with the new woman tonight?"

Jonathan leveled his icy eyes in a cautious glare at the man embracing him. Sighing inwardly, Jonathan conceded to himself that the doctor now attached to his shoulder would not let the matter die unless given some form of answer. "I would have my personal affairs removed from Arkham, but if you insist I am attending a costume party thrown by her boss tonight."

Barrow slapped a heavy hand onto Jonathan's slender back, though the hidden strength of the man caused his back to tense but he did not sway from the blow. "Again congratulations my friend and rest assured that anything said in my office is of pure confidence." Barrow took Jonathan's empty cup, returning them to the small corner table. "So a costume party? Have you thought about what you are going as?"

"I've had a few ideas though none have jumped out at me yet." Jonathan smiled. _'Perhaps I shall go as you, Scarecrow. Judge her reactions to the thought of you and me being one.'_

**_'Are you sure that is wise? Unwanted attention could be drawn to us.' _** The Rogue warned.

* * *

Hours later Jonathan found himself standing infront of the mirror in his bedroom. After carefully examining that his Rogue costume was in place and weapons were stored properly, he slipped his glasses from his face and lay them on the dresser. Sighing deeply, Jonathan rubbed his eyes but when he was done Scarecrow looked back at the reflection in the mirror. All control had be relinquished to the Rogue. _'One hour, then you are back here,'_ came the voice of the good doctor.

"One hour, as agreed." Scarecrow smiled ruefully at the reflection before donning his mask. "I have to say, Jonny, that I am disappointed that my plans had to be altered so severely. However, this will still be one night that Gotham is unlikely to forget."

_'As are we.'_ After the last word rang through the mind of Scarecrow, Jonathan slipped further into the darkness.

With one last look into the mirror, Scarecrow gripped his scythe and slipped from the front door of the home of Jonathan Crane. Since he knew he had limited time, Scarecrow opted to take the black car placed in the alley beside the home. As the beginnings of the Narrows appeared in the windshield, Scarecrow felt a shutter of anticipation travel down his spine. He abandoned the car on the outskirts of the Narrows, ensuring that it would be well enough away from the scene of the crime and therefore would not be suspect. A short run to the first of his stops led him to a small abandoned bus stop, covered now in trash surrounded by low income housing. Though the city transit has stopped its runs into this violence ridden area the Scarecrow would see new life breathed into this area as well as the other five he had chosen, much like this one. Two men in gas masks approached the Rogue as he bent down to remove a layer of trash to reveal shining new steel.

"Scarecrow, everything is set up as you instructed." one of the men stated.

Scarecrow's deft fingers flew over the panel on the steel structure and after a few input codes a green light shown. The Rogue stood to his full height, finally turning to address the two men behind him. "Stand guard and make sure that this bomb does indeed ignite at the proper hour. No one is aware of my plans so it should not prove difficult."

As Scarecrow went to move past the two men, the larger of them reached out and clasped the Rouge's upper arm. Scarecrow froze immediately, hardly registering the gall of the man that dared to touch him. "What about our payment?"

Scarecrow growled low in warning yet the man did not heed its meaning. "You would like your payment?" Scarecrow questioned, a smile breaking out on his face though it was concealed by his mask. As quick as a snake Scarecrow slipped his hand into his needled gauntlet. The needles glinted with malice as they flashed forward before embedding themselves into the man's neck. Scarecrow pressed the hidden buttons under the tips of each of his fingers, dosing the man with enough of his fear toxin to kill the largest of animals. As the needles pulled from the man's neck, stained red with his blood, the body fell to the ground dead from the overdose. The Scarecrow turned his attention to the second man who was backing slowly away. "I trust that you do not hold similar thoughts as your partner?"

The man shook his head quickly. "I understand my job, Scarecrow."

Scarecrow approached the trembling man, savoring the fear in his eyes. Slowly he wiped the blood from the gauntlet onto the man's shirt before returning his weapon to his back. "Your payment will be as previously discussed. Tomorrow morning you will find the cash on your doorstep, your partner's share with it."

The five other sites provided no other hostility between his hired hands. All six bombs were set, the timers awaiting midnight to detonate. While on his way back to the hidden car, a voice sounded from inside his head. _'Setting fear gas to detonate in the more populated sections of the Narrows? This plan of yours seems quite tame compared to previous ones.'_

_**'The bombs will provide the sport I relish as the police attempt to stop the rampaging fear that the Narrows will be gripped in tonight. Those that survive the bloodbath and the toxin will find their minds still turned to nothing better than mush. These survivors will then find themselves within the walls of Arkham where I can further help their delicate state find further darkness.'**_ Scarecrow retorted as he climbed into the vehicle.

A low laugh echoed throughout the inside of his mind. _'I see, so not only do you get to terrorize the general population but in the end we gain more lab rats.' _

* * *

Bruce knocked softly on the bedroom door, listening intently to the occupant moving within. "Just a minute," Aura called. A few minutes later the door opened to reveal Aura clad in a bathing robe. "Bruce?"

He flashed her a warming smile and motioned to her room. "May I come in?"

"Of course!" Aura moved away from the door to allow him to come in. He moved and gracefully sat on the bench of her vanity, looking at the wig that sat on the stand. Aura started to shake the towel in her hair before disregarding it to a basket in the corner. Her long white hair fell past her shoulders, reaching the small of her back. Bruce's gaze lingered on those unnatural locks before returning to her equally unnatural lavender gaze. A light blush was on her cheeks and she idly played with the silver chain around her neck. "Is everything ready for your party tonight or did you need my help with something?"

Bruce smiled. "I only came to ask if your friend, Doctor Crane was coming tonight?"

Aura froze with her back to him, pausing as she was pulling different make up from a bag. Slowly she turned to face him again, her eyes darkened by something Bruce could not place. "Yes, Jonathan is coming tonight." Her eyes narrowed and her body tensed in defense as she leveled her gaze, locking her eyes onto his own. Her tone remained guarded and cold as she spoke. Bruce could swear that that voice belonged to one of the Rouges. "Bruce, I nor Jonathan ever mentioned him being a doctor."

Bruce felt his heart skip a beat at the slip of his own tongue. Aura was a smart woman, one that held knowledge above all else. A simple statement could produce a well of information for her and the last thing he needed was for this woman with the potential abilities needed to put them to use finding out his darker secrets. He needed her to see him only as her boss and friend, not an enemy. Quickly he sprung a lie, hoping it would suffice for her. "I mentioned to Jim Gordon that you were out last night with Jonathan Crane and he knew the man. Jim told me all about his profession and assured me that Crane would see to your safety while you were with him. I'm sorry that I discussed your personal affairs behind your back but I was worried."

Aura visibly relaxed, "I can understand your concern and it warms my heart to know that I have such a dear friend."

Bruce motioned to the wig on the stand beside him. "You died your wig red, for tonight I presume?"

* * *

Jonathan climbed from his car, handing his keys to the valet waiting beside the drive of Wayne Manor. Party goers passed him, dressed in all manners of different ghouls and monsters. He climbed the stairs and entered the grand front doors only to have his path blocked by a man dressed in the traditional kilt of a Scotsman. "Ah, Master Crane. Miss Warren will be pleased that you are joining us tonight. She asked that you be escorted to her private room when you arrived. Please follow me."

Alfred led Jonathan through the many halls of the manor arriving at a heavy oaken door. He knocked softly, bowed to Jonathan, and left the way they had come. After a few seconds the door opened and Aura stepped out. Jonathan froze in his place, his breath hitching in his throat, and his blood turning cold. Scarecrow howled inside him, clawing at his mind. Aura smiled, "You're a mad scientist? That's amazing." She laughed and smiled warmly before twirling her golden cane, her loose red curls bouncing on her shoulders with most of the rest of her hair beneath a green bowler. Aura gave him a wink and struck a pose, the cane tucked under her arm. "What do you think? I'm the Riddler," she laughed softly with her smile widening.


	11. Chapter 11

Jonathan stared in shock at the woman infront of him, barely registering the words that came from her mouth. The voice in his head became louder and more enraged the longer his eyes stayed on Aura. Her smile was innocent as she made some joke, but he didn't hear her words. The darkness in his mind threatened to consume him as the Scarecrow continued to rage on. _**'Edward fucking Nygma? She spurns your affections in favor of Nygma!'**_

_'Spurns?'_ Jonathan blinked rapidly as the pain in his head began to swell. Absentmindedly Jonathan's hand flew to his head, cradling it as the pain began to blind him. _'Please calm yourself, Scarecrow. I cannot think when you are like this.'_

**_'She smiles at you, laughs in your face, and all you can think of is calming me! Aura stands before us clad in another man's image and yet you still pretend that she wants you? Wants us?'_** Scarecrow began to push against the barrier between their psyches, attempting to take over.

Jonathan could feel his control slipping as the pressure in his head was reaching a peak. A warm hand touched his cheek and Jonathan opened his eyes, using the last of his inner strength to push the Rogue back long enough to refocus his gaze. Aura looked at him, concern oozing from every pore of her being. Jonathan was able to finally focus on her words as her lips moved. "...so pale. Are you feeling alright? Do you need to lay down?"

"Yes I think that would be wise." Jonathan stumbled forward as Aura stepped aside to let him enter her room. He felt an arm slip around his waist as Aura helped him to the bed. Jonathan sat heavily and looked back up at her. "May I have some water please?"

She nodded quickly. "I'll be right back."

A sharp, stabbing pain lanced through Jonathan's head causing him to throw himself back onto the bed. A small scream left his lips as the Rogue threatened to break free from his hold. _'Please, stop!'_ Tears leaked from his eyes as the pain became unbearable. He could feel the claws of the Scarecrow scratching at his own mind.

_**'You are weak, Jonathan Crane! Aura teases you only to show her true colors tonight. She never wanted us. She was only playing with us. Fake concern, false emotion, and the funniest thing of all is the whore had you convinced that she was falling in love with you!' **_A cruel laugh echoed through his mind, the pain radiating and blossoming from it.

Jonathan tried to sit up only to fall to the floor on his knees from the sheer pressure inside his head. _'Please, old friend! Stop this now, I cannot bear it much longer.'_

_**'Then release me and see the siren receive what she deserves.'**_ Scarecrow temporarily paused in his onslaught as Jonathan began crawling towards the bathroom. **_'What are you doing?'_**

Jonathan smiled as he crawled, the last bit of his strength spurred on by adrenaline. _'Is it not obvious? I am going to stop you.'_

Another cruel, dark eruption of laughter echoed inside Jonathan's mind. The pain began to pulsate further into his body. All along his spine, he could feel what could only be described as white hot needles being pushed into every nerve fiber and pore of his body. Sweat dripped from his forehead but still the Rogue clawed at the barrier, the last thing separating him from completely taking control of their shared body. **_'You will stop me? You don't have the strength, Jonny Boy.'_**

_'I don't need strength, Scarecrow.'_ Jonathan gritted his teeth as the the Scarecrow pushed harder against his last defense. A sharp pain erupted from his spine, radiating down his right arm. He collapsed, only halfway to the bathroom. The distance between the bed and his destination seemed like miles away when in reality it was only a mere twenty feet.

_**'Do you see now Jonathan?'**_ The Scarecrow's voice was louder in his head as he came closer and closer to taking over. **_'Just give in. I'll consider making the traitor's end quick if you do.'_**

Jonathan suddenly smiled. _'I'll never let anyone hurt Aura, even you.'_

_**'Then you are not the smart man I thought you were.'**_

A small laughter fell from Jonathan's throat. The raw sound of a predator surprising even him. _'Or maybe I am the only smart one here. At least I can see the difference between simple dress up and imitation set on flattery.'_

_**'Why can you not come to terms with the fact that your affections towards Aura have failed? It is time to let me take over. She will either join us and follow my every command or she will become just another experiment.'**_

Jonathan struggled back to his knees and started crawling again. He focused his mind the best he could to push back against the Scarecrow. Within minutes he was inside the bathroom, the cold tile felt like a saving grace on his hot palms. Desperately he clung to the edge of the marble counter top and gritted his teeth together as he climbed to his feet. Jonathan slipped a hand into the pocket of his black slacks and wrapped his fingers around the small pill bottle inside.

The Scarecrow suddenly backed off, cowering at the mere feel of the bottle. _**'Jonathan, reconsider this. She will just hurt you in the end! I am your only friend.'**_

The pill bottle slipped free of his pocket and Jonathan struggled with the safety cap. Once opened he gently poured a pill into his hand, placing the bottle on the counter top. _'No my old friend, Aura has done nothing wrong in this. Jealousy has clouded your judgment and has caused you to act out of fear.'_

**_'Fear? I fear nothing!'_** Scarecrow suddenly pushed against the barrier in Jonathan's mind with everything the Rogue had.

Jonathan nearly fell to his knees at the demonic pressure now pushing down on his mind. _'You say I am weak but yet I still stand. Years ago I would have succumb to your influence by now. I would have cowered away from you and just let you do as you wished. But not this time.'_ Jonathan reached out and pulled the handle on the faucet to let the cold water pour out. He slipped the small pill between his teeth and bent forward, sipping water from the running tap.

_**'You believe I fear that medicine that you desperately cling to when you realize that you are nothing compared to me? I am fear incarnate! I, Scarecrow, fear nothing.'**_

Jonathan sat heavily on the side of the bathtub as the water and pill slipped down his throat. _'You are wrong. You fear one thing.'_ The pressure in his head began to lessen and the pain that once plagued his body was retreating. Sweat still clung to his face and chest, causing his hair to plaster to his skin. The Scarecrow was slowly quieted by the medication. _'Scarecrow, you fear that one day I will no longer need you and finally silence you for good. One day I will have the strength to see you disappear. But until then I will continue to fight against you. Aura will never be hurt by you or anyone else so long as I still draw breath.'_ Jonathan could feel the Rogue laugh softly as the medication continued to push him further and further into the darkness of his mind. Before the barrier went back up to fully seal the demon away, Jonathan closed his eyes and thought, _'This is my body, my mind, and my will. You will never fully control me again.'_

"Jonathan?" A soft voice called from the bedroom to his left.

Jonathan opened his eyes weakly, the strength slowly returning to his veins. "In here, Aura."

The light switched on in the small bathroom and Jonathan heard an audible gasp escape the woman's lips. Aura rushed to his side, kneeling in front of him. She removed the bowler hat and purple mask, throwing them to the side before she hesitantly reached out to touch his cheek. Concern was written plainly on her face as she took in his disheveled features, pale skin, and exhausted look. "Jonathan you look awful! What happened?"

She pushed a cold glass into his hands and he swallowed the water thankfully. Aura took the empty glass from him, placing it on the counter top behind her, before returning her attention back to him. "It was just an intense migraine. Nothing to be concerned over."

Aura narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "It must have come on so suddenly. I mean I was only gone for five minutes and you look like you just went through a war." Her palm pressed against his warm forehead. The coolness of her fingers made him sigh and close his eyes. "Stay here."

Jonathan watched as Aura got up and went to the small closet next to the bathtub. She returned with a small hand towel which she ran under the cool water still pouring from the tap. Aura paused as she saw the pill bottle. The towel laid under the running water as she picked up the bottle. Jonathan cursed himself for not replacing it into his pocket. "Amoxapine." Aura turned around to face him, her brows knitted together in confusion. "I take it for nerve pain and migraines."

She smiled as she replaced the cap on the pill bottle and handed it to him. Jonathan slipped the bottle back into his pocket and leaned on the cool tile wall of the bathtub. Aura wrung the access water from the towel before kneeling infront of him again. Softly she pressed the cool towel against his face and neck, wiping the sweat away from it. Jonathan closed his eyes in pleasure at the cool touch. "Does this sort of thing happen often?" she asked cautiously.

"Not anymore. When I was a kid I had to take it almost everyday but as I grew older I learned to live with it better. I very rarely need to medicate anymore." Jonathan smiled and reached out, capturing Aura's hands in his. "You don't need to worry about me. I'm all right now."

Aura smirked and rolled her eyes. "Your color is coming back but I am still going to worry about you." Her hands slipped from his grip and reached behind him to start the tap on the bathtub. "Take your shirt off and I'll rinse your hair. Don't worry I'll do your makeup for you again. We can't have the mad scientist appear sane can we?" Aura winked at him.

Jonathan stood up slowly, testing to make sure his legs were strong enough to hold his weight again. He slipped out of the lab coat he was wearing, the very same he would use when in his chemistry lab in the basement of the safe house. Aura had her back to him as she bent over the bathtub to grab a bottle of her shampoo. Jonathan took a deep breath and removed the long sleeved black shirt he wore, placing it with the lab coat on the counter followed by his glasses. When he looked back at Aura she was removing a larger bath towel from the cabinet. "Kneel next to the bathtub so I can wash your hair, please," she said as she grabbed the removable shower head. Jonathan did as she requested. He could feel his heart beating furiously, threatening to burst from his chest, as he waited for her to see the scars on his torso.

Jonathan gripped the side of the tub, his knuckles going white from the strength in his slim fingers. Aura finally turned to him and he watched as she froze with the running shower head in her hands. "Aura?" he called. Very softly she shook her head and smiled at him. Jonathan closed his eyes as the warm water ran over his shoulders and head. Aura washed his hair for him and when she was done, she wiped the water from his shoulders. Jonathan took the towel from her as she left the bathroom to retrieve her makeup bag. Quickly he dried his hair the best he could.

Aura returned a few seconds later and took the damp towel from him. The soft towel was brushed over his chest and back to remove the sweat from his skin. When she was done Aura paused and Jonathan watched as her eyes moved over his chest, taking in the numerous small scars that littered his skin. Slowly she reached out and stroked one of the deeper scars, "What are these?"

Jonathan continued to stare at her. Before he could stop himself he caught her hand in his and pulled her to him, claiming her lips with his. When they broke away, his icy eyes locked onto her lavender ones. "Bad memories. I'll tell you about them when we don't have a party to get to, I promise."

* * *

Aura smiled as she ran her hands through Jonathan's brown hair to rub the white powder among it. With one last look over the dark eye make up, she slid his glasses back onto his face. Jonathan's icy eyes opened afterward and locked onto her own. "I still can't tell you how excited I was to see you show up as a mad scientist."

Jonathan chuckled, following her from the bedroom and down the hall to return to the party. "I figured since you continued to call me such, I would make your dream come true tonight."

Aura adjusted her purple mask and bowler hat. Before they descended the stairs the sound of a cleared throat behind them caught their attention. Jonathan turned before Aura and locked his eyes on the man in the ninja costume. Aura blushed softly when she felt a protective arm wrap around her waist as Jonathan pulled her closer to him. "And who might you be?" she ventured to the newcomer.

The ninja said nothing but moved to step closer. Quickly Jonathan pushed Aura behind his back and stepped towards the ninja, his hand dipping into his lab coat and eyes narrowing dangerously. A soft laugh echoed from the dark mask before the man lifted his hands in surrender. The mask was pulled from his face and Bruce Wayne smiled at them. "Relax Doctor Crane, I do not intend to hurt you or your Rogue." He extended his hand and Jonathan shook it after a few seconds hesitation. Bruce then turned his attention to her, pulling her into a tight hug. "I have to say, I have never seen the Riddler look so beautiful before."

Jonathan chuckled into his hand. "Do not let Edward Nygma hear you say that. You may find yourself regretting your words."

Aura furrowed her eyebrows at his statement. "Is he that vain? I wasn't aware."

Bruce shot her a warning look. "No you would not know him being that you are from Metropolis and have thankfully yet to cross that particular Rouge's path."

"Besides seeing him in passing I can't say that I know the man." Aura reached out and held onto Jonathan's hand as her boss nodded slightly to her. "Wonderful party, Mr. Wayne. Everyone looks to be having fun."

"That they do. I just wanted to come and thank Doctor Crane here for attending tonight. It is quite a delight to have another of Aura's friends among us." Bruce locked his eyes with Jonathan and a few tense seconds passed before Bruce broke the connection and pointed down into the crowd. "It would appear Miss Susan and Mr. Arthur are heading your way. Do take care tonight you two. Funny things happen on Halloween. Now if you will excuse me, Lucius calls." Bruce descended the stairs and headed to the dark skinned man dressed as a pirate.

Aura pulled Jonathan down the stairs, ducking behind party guests, and heading to the food table. When they stopped, Jonathan looked at her quizzically. "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head and handed him a menu so they could place their order. "I would like to eat before Susan comes to try and drag us into some embarrassing conversation or worse, an interrogation." Aura placed their order with one of the waiters and was lead to a nearby table.

"Susan was the red head from the bar the first night we met right?" Jonathan asked.

Aura felt slight shock but quickly hid it. "I'm surprised you remember."

"I have quite a good memory, when they involve important things and people in my life."

She raised her wine glass to him. "I second that." Jonathan clinked his glass to hers and they sipped. "Yes Susan was the red head woman I was with. She's over there," Aura pointed into the crowd, "dressed up like Poison Ivy and her boyfriend is the tall one in the Scarecrow outfit." Aura found herself stumbling over her words as she looked at Arthur. The burlap sack over his head caused a breath to catch in her throat as she remembered that night in the hotel with the Rogue. His costume was a pale comparison to the true likeness of the Scarecrow but the effect was still there. Their dinner had arrived but she barely tasted it as that night replayed in her mind. Aura was still focusing on the distant Scarecrow in the hall when the scent of pumpkin caught her attention. Jonathan had moved closer to her to put an arm around her shoulders. She looked at him for a few seconds before moving her head closer to him and inhaling that distinct scent. "You smell just like pumpkins and cinnamon," she whispered.

Jonathan tensed and then relaxed. "It is embarrassing to admit but that would be the lotion I use. Do you not like it?"

Aura never got the chance to respond as two hands clasped themselves over her eyes. "Guess who!," a high shrill voice declared.

"Susan?" Aura turned around and hugged the woman after her eyes were uncovered. Arthur stood a few steps behind her but when Aura locked her eyes on his hood, he came closer. The burlap sack was removed and he smiled to her. "You two look great."

"I guess you got the memo about being a Rogue. Totally love the Riddler costume! Red is so your color!" Susan sat next to her and moved closer so that no one would overhear her next words. "Congrats on the hot stud with you. I just knew you would look awesome next to tall, pale, and nerdy." She laughed when Aura's blush darkened and sat back. "So you two wanna blow this boring business fundraiser and go have some real fun?"

Jonathan tilted his head in question. "Real fun?"

Susan's eyes glittered in enthusiasm. "Yeah! A group of only the best people are going into the Gotham Woods to have a bonfire and tell ghost stories. You two should totally come." Aura looked to Jonathan who only shrugged his shoulders but before she could say a word, Susan continued, "I won't take no for an answer! You have been cooped up in this mausoleum and Wayne Tower for far too long. Get out and live a little."

Aura and Jonathan could hardly say no as Susan and Arthur dragged them from Wayne Manor. The valet pulled Jonathan's car forward after Arthur's and they climbed into the vehicle. Jonathan followed the red sports car onto a path that lead deep into the forest. They pulled into a camping ground and Jonathan parked beside a row of cars. Susan pointed to a small bath house if they needed to use it and lead them to a small group of people already sitting around a bonfire. Jonathan sat on a log beside Aura and they laughed as two men tried to out do the other in a mock wrestling contest. Susan clapped her hands and all attention landed on her. "Alright lets get this scare fest started. Who wants to draw first blood?"

Aura smirked and grabbed Jonathan's hand, forcing it into the air. "Jonathan here specializes in the study of fear."

Susan motioned to the bonfire and smiled evilly. "Then let us be the judge if you can creep or scare the crap out of us. Please Mr. Crane, make our skin crawl."

* * *

Jonathan shot Aura a playful glare before looking around the group. They all returned his look with intense concentration. It would not take him much to scare this group. He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to recall the darkest story he could think of in which to cause the utmost discomfort for them all. Finally he settled on something he knew they would never forget: His childhood. "A man and woman had a child out of wedlock, that they abandoned with the grandmother. Now I know what you must be thinking, that this sounds like the same boring story heard daily in our lives but trust me when I say: what happened to this child has rippled into our very lives today, in this city, and still affects the ones around us to this very night." Jonathan paused and looked around. The group exchanged confused glances but soon focused back onto him. "The grandmother was far from the warm and loving woman that you may think. Years of religious fanaticism warped her mind into something cruel and inhuman. The boy was impure in her eyes and thus should be treated as such. Her favorite past time was to strip the boy naked and douse him in a homemade concoction.

Then she would drag the screaming boy into a church nestled in the corn fields behind their home. The boy would be tossed inside, regardless if he was hurt on the way in. The grandmother would then chain the doors closed so that there was no escape since all the windows were boarded and the only other opening was the numerous holes in the roof, caused from years of decay and age. The church was filled with nesting crows. Murders upon murders of them sitting in the rafters but not for long. The loud screams of the boy desperately trying to plead for the grandmother to release him would stir them into being alert. Then the chemical that covered his pale skin did its job. You see the chemical was designed to enrage and draw the crows into attacking the source. The boy would run as the crows pecked and clawed at his skin, tearing the flesh from his tender, slim frame. When the boy grew tired he would simply give up hope, crawl into the fetal position, and prayed to whatever merciful god that would listen to release him from this world. From dusk to sunrise he would stay in that church with those crows as his jailors, only sleeping when the crows finally would lose interest in him. This torture lasted and repeated daily from the tender age of four until the boy was seventeen.

His school years did not offer the hope of a reprieve from his grandmother's torturous ways as he would have hoped. The boys and girls at the school loved to gang together and taunt the boy for his lanky frame and spindly legs. As the years went by in school the teasing would escalate to the boy having rocks thrown at him, being stuffed into lockers, and beaten in the hallways. Teachers would pass by, completely ignoring the boy's pleas for help. Hell, they would even join in the fun. High school was the turning point in the boy's life. A young girl, the object of his adoration and affections, stood before him as he finally gained the courage to ask her to the costume ball. The cheerleader surprised him, giving him the greatest thing he had ever experienced in his life: Hope. She had agreed to go to the Halloween Dance with him, something he never expected. His love for her was finally returned, or so he thought." Jonathan paused again. Susan was clutching the girl next to her, mouth agape. Aura was watching him closely as well, focused on his words. He watched as Arthur stood and slipped from the small group, heading to the bathroom. Jonathan lowered his voice, staring into the fire.

"Sherry told the boy to meet her in a dark classroom so they could get to know one another intimately. The boy's heart raced at the prospect of having his first kiss, something that could bring him joy that even his grandmother could not take away. But on the way to the meeting spot the jock that captured Sherry's heart appeared and proceeded to chase the boy until finally he threw a Jack O'Lantern at the boy, causing it to explode upon the back the boy's head and knocking him unconscious. While he was indisposed of the two pranksters took him to the corn field and tied him upon the cross in which a scarecrow would hang. They dressed him in the scarecrow's clothes and when he woke up screaming and crying, they placed the burlap sack over his head. They left him there until his grandmother found him, cut him down, and then locked him in the church as punishment." Jonathan looked over at Aura. Tears slipped from her eyes as she listened to his story. The other women in the group were misty eyed as well, the men shaking their heads in anger and sadness.

Jonathan placed a hand on Aura's knee. "Do not fret. This story has a happy ending, of a sort. As the boy sat in the church that night and the crow's flew around him, something snapped. A voice in the darkness called to him, beckoning him. The voice became his friend. His only friend. Over the next year the boy and the voice devised a plan to free himself of the horrors of this world. With the voice spurring him on and giving him praise, the boy dressed in the guise of the scarecrow once again. The night of the senior prom the boy stood by the street, waiting patiently for a certain pickup truck to come down the road. After patiently waiting for hours the truck appeared on the horizon. The boy stepped out into the road and leveled a water gun, painted black, at the windshield of the truck. He could hear the screaming of Sherry as the jock driving careened from the road and down into a gulley. The boy smiled as he stalked to the disabled and bent truck. The driver had been thrown from the vehicle and lay yards away, his back at an unnatural angle. He lived, though he would never walk or even feed himself again. The passenger, Sherry, was partially hanging from the windshield. Her face was frozen in a scream, her eyes bulging from fear. The blood poured from the glass imbedded in her face and neck. The boy relished as he heard her last breath agonizingly leaving her lips. He returned home to find his grandmother in high spirits. The woman lifted her hand and struck the boy to the ground. As the boy was on the ground the voice in his head screamed and persuaded him to take control of his life. He donned the burlap mask again and retrieved a hidden bottle in his room that contained the very chemical used so many times on himself in the church. The voice had coached him into altering the chemical into something he could use against larger animals. Humans even. The boy sprayed the old woman in the face and within seconds she was screaming and writhing on the floor as the chemical altered her brain into seeing things that were not there. She prayed to her god to release her but the boy stood over her and said, 'There is no god, not for you. I will release you but only after you know the suffering you have inflicted upon me.' Using the only gift the woman ever gave the boy, the knowledge of how to inflict fear and pain upon someone, the boy tied the woman in the center of the living room. After gagging her, he set up pail that would slowly drip the chemical onto her continuously. He watched for days until the woman finally screamed herself to death. The fear gripping her heart and stopping it completely. He was finally free and with his new found delight in fear and death, he moved with the dark voice inside his head to a large city to continue his savage work."

The group was deathly silent as the last statement settled over them. Slowly one by one, the same thought crossed each of their minds. They all came to the same realization, but it was Aura who voiced it first. "Scarecrow."

Jonathan smirked as he watched as one by one, each member of their group shivered involuntarily. Aura stared at the ground as she digested the origin story of the Scarecrow. Jonathan's icy eyes fell onto Susan. The fiery redhead was openly weeping. "I can't believe that is how that Rogue came to be. I used to be just like that Sherry girl." The girl next to Susan wrapped her arms around the crying girl. "I must have been so horrible.

Jonathan relished in joy at the distraught people around him. He may not have struck fear into their bodies but he did something equally satisfying: he made each and every person present see the savage reality of their lives. They were now calling into question how they have lived their very lives, if they walked all over someone in the past, or any pain they might have inflicted upon someone else. All present where now looking at the exposed darkness in their own souls and Jonathan loved the pained look in most of their eyes. Aura was the only exception. There was no pain on her face, only mute shock at the story he told. _'I wonder if she has connected the scars on me to the story yet.'_ he thought to himself. Jonathan felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end and turned very slightly in his seat. Arthur, dressed once again in his burlap sack, had been listening to the tale. He crept closer to the group and once only inches from Aura's back, he grabbed the girl's shoulders roughly. Aura suddenly took a deep breath and let out a blood curdling scream. Her arms flew out as she clung to Jonathan for dear life. Her scream continued, her body shaking from the force of her fear. Tears fell from her eyes at the sudden fright gripping her heart. Arthur laughed and began apologizing. Susan had gotten up and smacked the tall man before pulling Aura from Jonathan's body and comforting the scared girl.

But Jonathan did not hear anything the woman was saying. Aura's scream resounded in his head. Vaguely he watched as Aura stood from the log and walked towards the bathroom. Jonathan closed his eyes tightly as a sharp pain lanced through his head. He held his head in his hands as dark claws easily ripped through the barrier in his mind and suddenly Jonathan found himself thrown into the darkness of his own psyche. _'Scarecrow! Don't do this! Let me out!'_ He could feel himself being pushed back and suddenly found that he was on the wrong side of his own barrier created by the medication that was still active in his system.

_**'Silence Jonathan. Aura's fear called out to me and brought me from the darkness you sought to lock me away in.'**_ Jonathan watched helplessly as the Scarecrow slipped from the arguing couple at his side. Swiping the burlap sack that Arthur had dropped, he made his way to the bath house. Scarecrow was in full control. **_'Don't worry Jonathan. I won't hurt her, much'_**

Jonathan pushed against the barrier, desperate to get through and force control over his own body. Meanwhile Scarecrow had reached the bath house. Silently he approached the rear and exposed the breaker box for the small building. He flipped the main switch and the bath house was plunged into darkness. Jonathan could feel his own panic and fear rising, not even bothering to hide it from the Rogue, as the Scarecrow slipped in the woman's room. _'Please do not hurt her. I need her Scarecrow. Old friend, it was just a prank. Please...'_

_**'Silence now, Jonathan. I wish to have a taste of her fear tonight and that scream awakened my need once again. I am willing to overlook her outfit choice after the raw fear I just felt come from her. Now sit back and let me work.'**_

* * *

Aura stood infront of the sink wiping the wet paper towel on her cheeks. The scare that Arthur gave her caused her such a panic. She was deep in thought about the very Rogue Jonathan had told them all about. Knowing the Scarecrow's origin was something surreal to her, something that hit too close to home. Just like the Rogue, she was bullied and singled out as a child but unlike the man, she had a loving family. That led her to thank about the man that forced that same loving family from her arms. But the fact that their pasts were similar led her to think of only one thing: would she end up the same? She became the Net Runner to escape the reality of her bullies and for once to feel in control of something. Would one day her Net Runner identity escalate into her becoming just like Scarecrow?

Aura gasped as the lights in the bathroom blinked out. She turned towards the door at the end of the long bathroom. A shadow flitted across the open door and Aura backed up a few steps. "Hello?" she called out softly. Her heart began to hammer softly in her chest. She willed her breathing to slow down and closed her eyes. Straining her ears she tried to pick up some sort of sound. There it was, a footfall on the tiles. Suddenly angered flared within her. "Arthur this isn't funny anymore. You won't scare me again."

Aura was thrown back as a strong hand clamped down on her mouth, muffling her surprised scream. The person's body pushed against her own, forcing her back against the tile wall behind her. She tried to push against the slender chest of the man on her but to no avail. Roughly a second hand wrapped around her throat. "Expecting someone else, Aura," a rough voice called out. Aura felt her heart stop. That voice did not belong to Arthur but she did know the man it did belong to. While the voice did not have the robotic edge to it that it did the last time, it still held the same darkness and savagery. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the bathroom, her suspicions were confirmed. Scarecrow was pushing his tall frame against her, trapping her against the wall. A small scream escaped her lips only to be muffled by his hand. "Aw, don't look at me like that. You're only making me more excited." A feral growl sounded from beneath the burlap sack.

Scarecrow leaned forward and rubbed the scratchy fabric against her cheek. Aura knew that he had pressed his lips against the fabric in an attempt to kiss her. A silent tear fell down her cheek and her body shook from fear. Scarecrow merely laughed. "You flatter me. I did not expect tears upon our meeting tonight but I have to say I am not disappointed. Your fear, its so intoxicating. That scream in which that silly boy pulled from you, it called to me. It begged me to come here and finally show you just whom you belong to." The Rogue sighed after burying his face in her neck and inhaling deeply. Aura closed her eyes but when the hand around her neck tightened, she forced them back open. "I am going to remove my hand from your mouth. As much as your screams would please me, I would hate for this chance meeting to end prematurely." A cruel laugh echoed in the tile bathroom. "If you do try and alert the others outside, I will strangle you within an inch of your life. I do not wish to harm you Aura, unless you give me a reason to. Do we have an understanding?"

Aura stared at the shadowed mask and nodded her head. The slim hand left her mouth and rested on the exposed portion of her waist. Now she regretted wearing the stomach exposing top of her costume. Whispering so that she would not cause any alarm, she asked "What do you want?"

Another cruel laugh. "Is it not obvious, Aura? I want you. I want your fear and," the hand on her waist trailed across her stomach while the other remained firm on her neck. He continued, "but there will be plenty of time for that later. Right now I just wanted to talk."

Aura breathed deeply, the scent of pumpkins filling her nostrils. Her mind drifted to Jonathan but this scent was different. The pumpkin was accompanied by something feral, something frightening. She couldn't quite put a finger on the smell but it was dangerous. "I don't know what I did to you but I am sorry. Please, I don't want any trouble. I just want to go home and be left alone."

The tall Rogue pushed his forehead against her own. "You did nothing to me Aura. I cannot explain the connection I felt for you the first time I was able to set eyes upon you. This can only be described as fate. We were meant to be together."

Aura felt hot tears falling from her eyes. "Please, I just want to be left alone. I won't tell anyone about you being here. I promise, just walk away."

"I cannot do that, Aura." He pushed his body closer to her own. One of his knees pushed in between her legs. "Nothing you say will change the way I feel about you. I need you and I will make you mine. When the time comes for you to join me you will have two choices: you can come willingly or I can drag you the entire way but I promise that choice will be something you will regret." The hand on her stomach trailed up her torso and brushed across one of her breasts before he pulled on the small purple tie she wore roughly. "I admit you disappointed me when I saw your choice of attire. Edward Nygma. What does the man mean to you?"

Aura felt her panic begin to rise and she knew that she had to be careful. "Nothing, it was just an outfit. Nygma has nothing to do with me and I have nothing to do with him. I have never even met the guy."

"Are you lying to me?" he growled out dangerously.

"No, I promise. I swear on my life."

"Swear on Jonathan Crane's life."

Panic seized Aura's tongue. She closed her eyes tightly to try and gain the courage she needed to stop her voice from shaking. "Please do not harm Jonathan, he has nothing to do with any of this. I will do whatever you ask of me just do not harm him."

"I will not so long as I do not find out that you are lying to me." The hand around her neck tightened temporarily. "Keep your eyes closed." Aura did as he commanded. She could hear the burlap sack being removed from his head and fall to the floor. She froze as soft lips pressed against her own. A small gasp escaped her lips and a rough tongue was pushed deep into her mouth. Scarecrow's hand massaged her breast as his tongue explored her mouth roughly. He broke the kiss and buried his face again into her neck, his cold skin pushing against hers. Sharp teeth bit into her neck before he sucked on the delicate pale skin. Aura tried her best to stifle a moan as the Rogue brushed his tongue against the skin of her neck. A rumble shook Scarecrow as he laughed. With a final rough kiss the Rogue moved to her ear, his lips brushing against her lobe. "Never again will you dress in the like of a Gotham Rogue unless of course it is my likeness. If you do there will be consequences. Now you're a smart woman so I assume I do not to reiterate that you will never speak of this night to anyone. I will protect you Aura if you follow my rules and never betray me. You belong to me. Never forget that." A few seconds ticked by before Aura felt her body being released and the shadow before her disappeared. Aura sunk to the floor and released the breath she had been holding as tears flowed from her face.

* * *

Just wanted to say thank you to all my readers and especially to my reviewers! I appreciate you all!


	12. Chapter 12

Several minutes passed by as Aura stared down at the mask in her hands. Her tears had long since dried and her terror had passed. The lights flickered back on seconds after Scarecrow left and with them her mind turned back on as well. The gears in her head that had been frozen by the fear of the Rogue were now churning, trying to figure out who was the man underneath this burlap mask. This was not the mask that Aura first saw in the hotel room, it was entirely missing the voice changing and air quality control apparatus. Also the mask that was left in her condo had a similar, though less complex, design as the Rogue had in the hotel. But that one was still at Wayne Manor; she had taken it out and studied it again before deciding to go with the Riddler costume she choose. No, this mask in her hands was something that Aura was sure the Rogue did not make himself. This was something that he grabbed quickly to conceal himself or maybe it was just the means to hide in plain sight. A wolf in sheep's clothing among the hapless revelers of the Halloween Party.

Aura took in a sharp breath and her brows shot up in recognition. That was where she had seen this particular mask before: Bruce Wayne's Halloween Fundraiser. She had seen this exact mask from across the room as she and Jonathan sat down for their evening meal. Then the owner of this mask had come with them, no they had followed him, here to this out-of-the-way campground. It was the Rouge's plan all along for them to come here so that he could have his uninterrupted moment alone with her. Aura knew who was under the mask, who Scarecrow was. Slowly she climbed to her shaking feet, the mask still clutched tightly in her hands. As she made her way back to the bonfire Aura noticed that most of the group was still gathered around the fire, except one. She slipped back on the log she had sat on before. Jonathan looked to her and flashed her a smile but a few seconds ticked by in complete silence and his smile faltered.

"Aura," he whispered, "is everything all right? You look like you've seen a ghost."

She said nothing but slipped the mask into his lap discreetly, not wanting anyone else around the fire to see it. The last thing she needed was to start a panic. The missing person had still not returned. "**He** came to see me," she whispered. Aura was surprised by the resolute tone of defiance and anger in her own voice.

"He?" Jonathan slid closer to her and slipped a comforting, strong arm around her waist. "Did someone hurt you?" Aura shook her head. Jonathan used his slender fingers to grasp her chin and forced her to look into his icy eyes behind his glasses. "You need to tell me what happened."

Aura stared into those beautiful blue eyes and fought the panic rising within her. She wanted desperately to tell Jonathan everything but knew she could not. Scarecrow flashed into her mind's eye. The demon was standing over a bleeding and broken form. The victim looked up at her and those icy blue eyes stared at her with a questioning, saddened expression. Jonathan looked at her as the life drained from his eyes, asking her how she could let the Rogue kill him. Asking her why she didn't protect him. Aura closed her eyes to force the image to disappear. "Please forget I said anything. I must have been dreaming. All the stress from the past few weeks must be catching up to me and I saw something that wasn't there."

Jonathan narrowed his eyes sceptically but said nothing. Aura knew that he was worried. She suspected that he could see right through her false bravado and lame excuse. Fear was his specialty, his passion, and Aura knew that she could not hide the fear in her lavender eyes. Laughter from behind them caused Aura to break away from Jonathan's side and look to the sound. There was the missing member of their little group. Aura felt her anger flare as Arthur stood laughing with another man as Susan was threatening him. A pang of fear ran up her spine as Arthur pulled her friend to his chest, playfully squeezing her and burying his face in her neck, just like Scarecrow did in the bathroom, until she squealed in delight. Aura stood up abruptly, grabbed the mask from Jonathan, and headed towards the wolf among them. Jonathan scrambled after her, urging her to come back to the fire in hushed tones. That only fueled her anger as Jonathan was unknowingly defending the very man that had moments ago threatened his life.

Arthur broke away from Susan when she approached. His face darkened as he blushed. "Aura, I wanted to apologize..."

Aura slammed the mask into his chest, knocking the wind from his lungs. She glared at the tall man darkly and could see the confusion in his eyes. "The next time you decide to scare me, don't. You will not find me so docile and meek next time. Leave me and the people I care about alone. Do we have an understanding?" she mocked the same question Scarecrow had asked her moments ago.

Susan looked up to Arthur was a smug expression. Her hand resting on her cocked hip. Arthur had a blank expression. Feigning ignorance he laughed softly. "I'm sorry Aura. I didn't know my little prank would..."

"Prank?" she exploded, interrupting him. "People like you make me sick. You think you can just scare anyone you want into doing anything you desire. Well you're wrong. I know who you really are and I am going to take you down if you even think about hurting any of my friends or anyone in Gotham. You'll know real fear when I'm done with you." Aura spun on her heel and marched towards the parking area.

Jonathan raced after her, catching up when she finally stopped beside his black car. "Aura!" His breathing was even and non-labored as he stopped next to her. "What was that all about?"

Aura glared up at his face, not entirely seeing him though her cloud of anger. Slowly the anger dissipated and his icy eyes came into focus. Immediately Aura felt a calm as she gazed into his eyes. "Promise me that this will never leave the two of us."

Jonathan smiled in amusement. "I have extensive experience in secret keeping from my work. Whatever you say to me in private will never leave my lips. I promise Aura. Your trust in me is something I will fight to keep."

Aura tried to smile but the muscles in her face just did not seem to respond. A sigh escaped her lips as she leaned against the car. "I went to the restroom to cool down and a few minutes after being there the lights went off. Someone threw me against the wall and started talking about how they wanted me but it wasn't the right time for me to join them." Aura shook her head when Jonathan went to speak. "Please let me finish." Jonathan nodded and Aura took off the green bowler, running her hand through the now tangled red curls. "He said that he has this connection with me and one day I would be his, willingly or not. He then asked me if I had a connection to the Riddler, which I don't! Besides that stupid phone call when me and you first met I have never met the guy. I denied it of course but he made me swear on your life that I wasn't lying. He said that if I was he was going to hurt you."

If Jonathan Crane was surprised he did not show it. In fact if he was feeling anything at all it was impossible to tell. His face was a solid block of ice, impenetrable. Tense silence filled the air as he stared into her eyes. Aura could tell that the warm Jonathan she had grown fond of was slipping into the professional Doctor Jonathan Crane. His voice was expressionless as he spoke. "Did he hurt you?"

"I just wanted to tell you so you knew to watch your back. Jonathan I will take care of..."

Like a bolt of lightning, Jonathan reached out and grasped her shoulders. Her back bumped against the side of the car as the force of Jonathan's hold pushed her back. His grip didn't hurt but she could feel that he was holding back. "Did he hurt you?"

His eyes were hard and he was all but growling out his words. "He only grabbed my neck and held me down."

Jonathan gently moved her head to one side, brushing the hair from her skin. Satisfied that side of her neck was clear of any abrasions or bruises, he tilted her head to the opposite side. Aura closed her eyes tightly when his teeth clenched together, audibly cracking. His fingers gingerly brushed the sensitive flesh of her neck, exactly where the Scarecrow had bitten her. When Aura was released from Jonathan's grip she immediately looked into his eyes, but there was nothing there. The car behind her beeped softly as he unlocked the door. "Get in. I'll take you back to Wayne's." Aura turned to get in but Jonathan placed a hand on her shoulder. "I will take care of this. I do not want you involved any further than you already are."

"Jonathan, he threatened you. I can take care of this."

The intense glare that he shot at her through his narrowed eyes caused Aura to tremble. When he spoke next, his voice was as hardened steel, cold and unmoving. "You will do nothing of the sort. Scarecrow is a Gotham Rogue and extremely dangerous. I can take care of him so he will never hurt you again."

Aura's anger erupted. A soft pounding in her head began as her anger got the better of her judgment. "How? Do you know Scarecrow personally like you seem to know the Riddler? Are you friends with him too?" Aura crossed her arms over her chest.

Jonathan glanced at her for a few brief seconds, his jaw set. "One day I will explain everything to you but not until this problem is solved. My dealings with Nygma are beside the point right now. I will handle Scarecrow while you remain safe in Wayne's care." Aura spun on her heel and began walking towards the exit of the parking lot and the trail beyond. After a few feet, a black car pulled up beside her with the window rolled down. "Aura, I apologize for my tone of voice. Please get in the car."

Aura did not stop walking forcing Jonathan to keep his car rolling along beside her. "I have enough stress on me that the last thing I need to worry about is the thought of you seeking out a dangerous villain," she told him coldly.

Jonathan sighed softly. "I've have training for things like this. Besides I may be in a better position to deal with Scarecrow than you are."

Aura shook her head. "You see? Everyone in Gotham, since the day I got here, think that they know what is best for me. But do you think anyone has stopped to ask me what I want? No." Aura angrily brushed hot tears from her cheeks. "The first day I got here I was told where I am going to live and where I was going to work. Then the first man that showed a little interest in me and let me believe I had something I could control in my life turns out to be working for some evil clown that wants to kidnap me. Then I do get kidnapped and taken to some hotel where another crazy guy in a burlap mask gets the idea in his head that he can claim me!" Aura stopped walking and stared at Jonathan. "Now because of all of that I am forced to live with my boss who thinks that he can control when and who I go out with. The only time I'm allowed to leave the manor is when I'm with him or now you." A sigh escaped her lips and she darted her eyes anywhere other than the man sitting in the car. "Then I met you and all my problems just seemed to disappear. I forgot about how I found myself in this city, how I can't see my parents anymore when we were so close before, and above all how little control I have over my life when before I could control everything. You won't understand what I am feeling and even if I wanted to tell you everything I can't because someone else has decided that it would be bad if people knew the real me."

"Aura, I..." Jonathan started.

Aura held up her hand. "Please don't tell me that you do understand or you're sorry. I've heard enough of that from Bruce Wayne and Commissioner Gordon. I'm tired of the false apologizes and empty promises of protection. I'm tired of letting others control me and thinking they know what is best for me. I'm a big girl, a grown woman, and I can take care of my own life. I won't let Scarecrow harm you or anyone I care about to try to control me. He will never get the best of me, but he will get the worst." Aura stepped closer to the idling car and reached for Jonathan's hands. "Please promise me that you won't go out of your way to find Scarecrow. I know he hurt me, scared me, and threatened you but please let me make the decisions to make him stop. Let me make that call."

Jonathan nodded his head gently. "Only if you let me take you back to Wayne Manor. Making sure you get there safely would help me sleep better tonight." He flashed her a charming smile and she tried her best to return the gesture.

Aura slipped into the passenger side and smiled at him. "I promise I won't get myself hurt or into any trouble." Before Jonathan slipped the car into drive again Aura leaned towards him and cupped his cheek, pulling his face to look at her. "Thank you for trusting me." Before he could speak Aura pressed her lips to his. Jonathan's hand reached out and rested on her thigh as he returned her soft kiss. Aura broke away from him and sat back, entwining her fingers with his.

After Jonathan dropped her off at Wayne Manor and said his goodbyes, Aura watched as his car disappeared down the drive. She slipped into the door. Waiters and maids were working hard to clean the party supplies from the main hall and ballroom she saw as she headed towards her room. Alfred was conducting the whole dance of cleaners from the mock stage the band once played on. Surprisingly Bruce Wayne was no where to be seen. Once Aura was in her room safely, she undressed and got into a pair of comfy sweatpants and black t-shirt. Her wig was placed on the stand, awaiting her to redye and style it. The long tresses of her white hair fell to its full length, the tips brushing the small of her back as she shook it loose from the bun it was in. Aura settled on her bed and flipped the evening news on, watching the weatherman as he talked about the week to come.

* * *

Jonathan arrived home and sighed heavily. After Scarecrow had pushed him into the medicated cage he himself had set up for the Rogue, Jonathan had lost the ability to watch his other side's actions. He knew that Scarecrow would confront Aura but he did not think the Rogue would be stupid enough to physically molest her. Doubt clouded his mind when he thought about the bite on Aura's neck. There was no way Scarecrow would have stopped at just leaving that mark. As a picture of the red, swollen bite mark, already bruising darkly in contrast to Aura's pale skin, crossed his mind Jonathan immediately felt heat on his cheeks. Not with embarrassment that in reality it was his mouth that left the mark but anger at the weakness he displayed in not being able to keep the dangerous Rogue at bay. Not only that but Jonathan failed to protect Aura. He was only thankful that Scarecrow did not permanently injure the woman.

Jonathan tried to push those thoughts from his mind as he jumped into a quick shower to wash the make up from his skin. Once dressed in black silk pants, he sat on his couch in the small living room and pulled the book on the coffee table to his lap. He was never one to watch television even though he had one. Reading was a much more pleasurable way for him to pass his time though truthfully he would rather be cuddled up to Aura. Jonathan struggled to push the girl from his mind. He had to control Scarecrow before he attempted to go any further in his relationship with the woman. There would never be a repeat of this night. Tomorrow he would make it a point to procure a higher concentrated dose of his medication and would begin to take it again regularly. If making the Scarecrow completely disappear meant that Aura would be safe then he was willing to let the Rogue die. The dark side of Jonathan was still contently locked away in the cage since he had taken a second dose of his medication. It would do until he could get to the asylum tomorrow morning.

He had to smile at himself as a replay of the conversation with Aura ran through his mind. She was trying so hard to protect him from Scarecrow but little did she know, she was trying to stop and protect the same man. Though Jonathan could see a glaring problem in Aura's plans. She thought that Arthur was Scarecrow. Jonathan had begun to connect the missing pieces of the night together. Scarecrow had somehow alleviated the young man of his Halloween mask before stalking Aura in the bathroom. Aura must have assumed it was Arthur, seeing as it was his mask left behind. Jonathan would have a hard time exposing himself to Aura now but at the same time he couldn't let her continue to think it was the innocent man. Especially if she decided to go after Arthur. It would be harder to be truthful to her and in return be accepted by her, if he was aware of her suspicions and did nothing while she destroyed one of her friendships.

A soft musical tone issued from his cell phone on the coffee table and Jonathan retrieved it. He slid his finger over the screen and held the phone to his ear. "Yes Edward?"

Edward Nygma laughed loudly. "Well hello there Jonathan! Did you enjoy your Halloween?"

"I have had better," Jonathan admitted. "Why have you called?"

Nygma tsked at him playfully. "I have a confession to make."

"That is what a priest is for."

A few seconds of silence ticked by. Nygma started chuckling. "I knew you had a funny side somewhere in there. Do you really take me for a holy man? Besides it isn't that type of confession, well maybe." Nygma seemed to shuffle a little and a few minutes later Jonathan heard a knock on his front door.

He quickly crossed his living room and ducked into the entrance hall. After pulling open the door, he instantly regretted not grabbing his pistol. Edward Nygma stood there completely dressed in the guise of The Mad Hatter, Jarvis Tetch. His costume would pass for the actual Rogue if only Nygma wasn't almost two feet too tall. Even Jonathan was an inch shorter than Nygma but he himself towered over the shorter Tetch. Jonathan stepped aside to let his fellow Rogue into his private home. Nygma hung the overly large hat onto a hook next to the door before following Jonathan into the living room. "Why are you in my home and why are you dressed like Hatter?"

Nygma giggled. "Can I not celebrate Halloween as well by crashing a certain billionaire's party? I was going to go as myself but I figured that someone would recognize my devilishly handsome self. The last thing I wanted was to wind up back in Arkham so soon after escaping."

"I told you I want to know nothing about that."

"Don't worry the only people who know what happened are myself and Net Runner."

"That Rogue from Metropolis? Have you figured out his connection to Aura yet? Joker has been awfully quiet lately and I fear that he may make another move on Aura soon to get to that man." Jonathan sat back into his couch and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched Nygma looking over the nicknacks on his bookshelf.

Edward turned to him slowly, his face for once expressionless. "I take it you haven't either?" Jonathan narrowed his eyes suspiciously and shook his head. "Well its no matter then. The truth will come to light eventually." Nygma plopped down onto the opposite end of the couch, turned towards Jonathan. "I have to say Crane, you need to do something about those scars. Get some cocoa butter or something."

"Does that even work?" he asked skeptically.

Nygma shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not a woman, how would I know? Its what Query puts on and her skin is flawless." The Rogue leaned over and picked up the television remote flicking it on and flipping through the channels.

"Are you going to tell me about your confession or am I going to have to drag it out of you?" Jonathan asked, his patience running thin. Did Edward Nygma really just come to his house to chat and watch television? No one has ever come to his private home, yes his safe house and warehouse that were connected to his Rogue side, but never his personal home.

"I coveted a friend's woman today, temporarily, until I came to my senses and realized that I would not like to bark up her boyfriend's crazy tree." Jonathan stayed silent as he watched his friend's facial expression change from thoughtful to embarrassed and finally settling on cautious. "Aura looked amazing dressed in my colors. I almost went and scooped her up and stole her away until I saw you come down the stairs with her."

Jonathan chuckled. "She did look good."

Silence fell over them. "Scarecrow didn't like it I take it?" Jonathan felt his jaw clench. The last thing he wanted was to openly admit his weakness to someone who could potentially hold it over his head. But then Nygma surprised him. "You know you can't be strong all the time but at least she did not get hurt. Aura might not be as helpless as you think." Nygma stopped flipping channels. "Hey look, you're on the news."

* * *

_'Details are still pouring in as the police are spread thin tonight. At midnight, multiple explosions were reported in different, heavily populated, neighborhoods in the Narrows. According to police the bombs were filled with a chemical that, if inhaled, would cause the victim to experience intense hallucinations and to become violent, often lashing out to anyone around them. First responders are on the ground in the Narrows however they are advising that if you are unaffected at this time to remain inside your homes and barricade all doors and windows that lead to the outside. Any openings to the outside, such as fire places, should be filled immediately to avoid having the inhalant enter your home. Police are reporting that the chemical should dissipate within the hour. Police will remain on site to help round up the injured and affected throughout the night. _

_In other parts of Gotham tonight, citizens are reporting seeing higher than normal crimes in progress. Most of these crimes seem to be committed by the notorious Joker Gang. There are multiple reports of wide spread looting, shootouts with police, rioting in the streets, and innumerable assaults in progress at this time. Gotham City Police are being spread thin. There are a few, unconfirmed reports that Batman himself is assisting in apprehending any Joker Gang members found roaming the streets. Commissioner Gordon has released that because of the chemical attack in the Narrows and now the rioting from Joker Gang that a mandatory curfew will be set for 2a.m. Anyone found on the streets after that time will be arrested on sight._

_In another story the manhunt for Edward Nygma, aka The Riddler, is still ongoing. A few days ago the Gotham Rogue was found to have mysteriously disappeared from his cell at Arkham Asylum. Despite an update in security, somehow Riddler was able to disable the security cameras and walk out an unattended door. Arkham security is coming under heavy scrutiny as a new report has shown that Nygma did not come into contact with any security guard while on his way out of the asylum. Arkham has recently been the center of controversy with the amount of breakouts the asylum has experienced in recent years, however the Warden of Arkham could not be reached for comment on the recent Gotham Rogue breakout. Anyone with information regarding Edward Nygma's whereabouts are asked to contact Gotham City Police immediately and are reminded to never approach a Gotham Rogue.'_

Aura sighed heavily as she listened to the reporter. They still had no idea that Nygma had outside help nor would they ever be able to track down her or Isis. Aura shifted slightly, leaning closer to the television infront of her. She was sitting on the floor infront of the stand, and found herself sliding closer to it as excitement erupted on the live news feed. The reporter behind the desk suddenly paled and held her hands up. Tears formed in her eyes as she stared at something off screen. Muffled screams and gunshots from behind the camera's view sounded. Each gunshot caused the reporter to flinch in terror. Suddenly a bouncing blonde in a skin tight red and black suit came onto the screen and pushed the reporter off camera. Blue eyes shown from under her black mask and pale makeup and Aura felt her blood run cold. This woman looked like a clown, did she work for Joker? As if on cue the woman looked directly into the camera. "Is that thing still rollin'? Good," she paused and focused on the center of the camera, "Hello Gothamites! Harley Quinn here for an important message from the world's greatest evil mastermind! Don't change that channel, we're on all of them."

Fuzz flashed on the screen for a few seconds before a classic black and white count down started. When the number one appeared it looked like a smiling clown in white makeup with large red lips, shadowed eyes, and green hair. Then a previously recorded video feed started and the same clown appeared on the screen in a purple suit. Two large men where standing behind him, half hidden in the shadows. They had two large shapes in between them, both covered with separate black sheets. Aura felt her blood run cold at the sight of the purple suited man. There was something familiar about him.

_'Good evening Gotham! This is your future ruler and lovable Rogue, Joker here. If you're watching this that means that Harley has successfully interrupted your boring news or other equally boring program to bring you the best show in the world, MINE! Now let me take this opportunity to introduce a little known but soon to be infamous Gotham Rogue. Straight from the glorified cesspool that is Metropolis comes Net Runner, a supremely intelligent hacker that has the unique ability to get into any little old thing that they desire. Now over the past few weeks, Gotham, I have been trying hard to take this potentially dangerous Rogue off of the streets. Unfortunately Commissioner Gordon, the Gotham City Police, and even Batman have been diligent in hiding away this dangerous criminal. Now you need to ask yourself Gotham, why would they help someone who has been known to cause thousands of deaths from the Deadly Flash that was released not too long ago? Well you should ask them, inquiring minds are dying to know. So this is my message for the Net Runner: I have something you want. Behold!'_

Aura gasped loudly as the sheets were pulled from the bundles. "Mom? Dad?" she whispered as her mom and dad came into view. Both were tied to rolling chairs. Her father had multiple bruises covering his bare chest and face. Her mother had tear stains and blood running from the corner of her mouth. Joker came back onto the screen and he motioned for one of the larger goons to push her mother closer to him. Joker placed a hand on the woman's shoulder before looking back at the camera.

_'That's right, my little Net Runner. Your dear mommy and daddy. I have to say they were unfortunately uncooperative when we graciously escorted them from Star City so you'll have to pardon their appearance. So now that you know what I have, now you will want to listen to what I want. I want you, little Net Runner. If you wish your parents to survive their vacation in Gotham than you will follow every command I give you. You will come willingly to a predetermined location I have set within one hour after I receive word from Harley that this video has finished airing. If you are late, you may be forced to put the pieces of your parents together before having a closed casket funeral. Now you will come unarmed and unencumbered by anyone who may be trying to protect you. Yes, that means if I catch wind of Batman, Riddler, or even your lover Scarecrow following you to this location, you can say goodbye to your parents. I take it you will be smart enough to figure out how to find me. Work fast.'_

Joker smiled ruefully as he looked down to Mrs. Warren. He appeared deep in thought. _'Just in case you have any intentions of defying me, let me make my point quite crystal clear.' _Joker slipped a metal case from his pocket and a blade shoot out of one end of it. In a flash the Joker had swept the blade over to one end of her mother's neck. The blade sunk deeply into the tender, bruised flesh as the Joker pushed it in and drug it roughly across the entirety of the woman's neck. Her mother gave off a muffled scream when the blade dug in but it quickly died off as the blade ruined her vocal cords as it cut its jagged path. Blood gushed from the wound, some splashing out and onto the camera lens. Joker's arm was covered in the dark crimson fluid and he cackled loudly as the life drained from his victim. The camera lens was wiped clean of the blood that had covered it and Aura screamed out in horror as the full scene came back into view.

Her mother's head had nearly been decapitated by Joker. "NO!" she screamed, falling to her knees as hot tears fell from her eyes. She did not even realize that throughout the whole video she had stood and moved closer to the television screen, covering her mouth with her hands. She knelt down and screamed into the carpet as the sight of her mother's half-decapitated body burned itself into her mind.

_'I think you know that I am deadly serious, Net Runner. Work fast and don't keep me waiting. One hour or your father will follow his mate's fate.'_ Joker cackled loudly one last time before the screen went dark.

Aura did not even look up as the Joker made his final statement. Her screaming continued as her tears fell. However his words did sink in. She did not have much time if she hoped to save her father. She looked up at the black screen. Terror settled into her body as nothing appeared on the screen. No address, nothing that would tell her where the Joker could be found. Finally Aura turned to the one thing that she knew would never let her down, Isis. The obelisk flashed brightly, mimicking her own determination, as she plugged it into her phone. As Isis started up, Aura wiped her tears away and said a final, quiet goodbye to her mother. She knew that she needed to have a clear mind. Isis finished starting up and within seconds Aura was able to track down the main broadcasting station that Harley Quinn had broken into. She temporarily disabled all their incoming and outgoing signals so she could devote all of their processing power to fulfill her requests. Isis was flawlessly working as she disabled what was required and isolated the video. Now that the video was found it would be simple for Isis and Aura to track down the source of the video. However as Isis was delving into the video's files something caught Aura's eye.

There was a single file that was unattached from the video's file itself. Aura had Isis isolate this file and open it. A scrambled image filled her screen causing Aura to growl softly. Isis immediately began to work on fixing the fuzzy pixels. Five tense minutes passed as Aura instructed Isis to concentrate on different pieces of the image and slowly the picture became clear. A dark intersection came into view. "36th and Holland Road."

Aura backed out of the broadcasting station and returned to Isis' main menu. She opened a separate program and accessed the traffic cameras run by the city. Effortlessly Aura was able to pull up the feed for the intersection. A lone man was standing under the street sign, the mask on his face resembling a clown. Aura exited Isis completely and replaced the cap on her obelisk. On her desk she wrote a short note and slipped it into an envelope. Before sealing it, the obelisk followed the note. Quickly Aura wrote down an address she looked up on her phone's internet and the person's name who would receive it. She slipped the envelope into the pocket of her sweatpants. A bag was thrown onto her bed and she packed a few necessities, clothes and toiletries, into the bag. She paused for a few seconds before retrieving the Scarecrow's mask from her dresser and packed it into depths of the bag to hide it. Finally she threw her small purse into the bag and cinched it closed.

Aura wrapped her hair into a pink head scarf and shrugged into a dark gray hooded sweatshirt that matched her pants. She pulled the hood over the scarf, slipped her phone into her front pocket, and threw the bag over her shoulder. The hallway outside of her room was quiet as she dashed down to the study. After a few minutes of digging through Bruce's desk she found a stamp for her envelope. Before she left she took a post it note and wrote two words on it. It was left on the screen of his laptop. The manor stood empty as Aura moved into the garage. Her car was parked beside one of the black limos. Aura navigated out of the garage and towards the looming city, her heart threatening to beat out of her chest.

* * *

Batman threw the last of the thugs into the back of Commissioner Gordon's police car when the call came over the radio. Someone had broken into the GNN broadcasting tower and was airing a video tape calling the Net Runner to come out of hiding. Bruce immediately opened one of his gadgets and tuned into the tail end of the video. Joker had slit the throat of a poor woman that he assumed was Aura's mother. There was a second man bound behind Joker, Aura's father. Batman stored the device and ran back to his car. He pressed a few buttons as he sped away. The call went unanswered. Aura either had left her phone or, hopefully, was still sleeping. He prayed for the latter. Batman had one hour to find the Joker and Aura's father, before the girl either woke up to realize what happened, or worse turned herself over to Joker.

He pressed in a different number and after a few tense seconds it was answered. "Yes, sir?" Alfred toned out sleepily.

"Alfred, I need you to go to Aura's room immediately."

Batman waited as his faithful servant made his way to the young woman's room. He heard him knock but when there was no answer, Alfred return his attention to the phone. "Miss Warren must be sleeping sir, it is quite late."

"Check, now."

"Yes, sir." The door creaked open. Silence filled the phone. "Sir? It appears that Miss Warren has disappeared. I was sure she came home from her date with Dr. Crane."

"Call Crane and find out. I don't care what time it is." Batman hung up as he pulled into the fire lane of the GNN building. He would track down the Joker's goons and find the Rogue himself. When he did, a shutter ran down his spine, there would be hell to pay.

* * *

Jonathan furrowed his brows as the video faded. Nygma had visibly paled next to him, something that Jonathan found suspicious. There was no possible way that his fellow Rogue was not used to the sight of death and blood by now. Not with his multiple murders, that as the Riddler he committed, and his time spent in Arkham Asylum. Nygma clicked the television off and sat back in a dazed stupor. For the first time in their friendship, Jonathan saw him silent and it was eerie. Suddenly Jonathan's phone rang again. Scowling at the late hour, he picked up the phone and answered the blocked number. "Doctor Jonathan Crane," he asked, not bothering to mask his impatience.

A older, British man answered back to him, "Yes, Doctor Crane sir. This is Alfred Pennyworth from Wayne Manor. I was asked to call you to see if Miss Warren was remaining with you tonight?"

Jonathan felt his heart skip a beat and he sat up quickly. Nygma turned to him sharply and fixed his intense bluish-green eyes onto his friend. "I took Aura home hours ago. Did she leave again?"

"Yes sir. It appears that Miss Warren stepped out of the Manor and we are unable to contact her. If you happen to hear from her can you please contact me."

Jonathan's head was swimming as he began to think of where she could have gone. Then one idea popped into his head. "I'm sure she's fine but if I hear from her I will let you know." Jonathan hung the phone up and looked to Nygma. "Aura disappeared."

The young doctor did not miss the sideways glance Nygma shot at the television. After a few minutes he stood up. "Do you know where she could have gone?"

"No but I have an idea. She thinks that a friend of hers is the Scarecrow but I don't know where he lives. Wayne's butler said that they cannot get a hold of her." Jonathan stood up from his spot and fixed the Rogue with an intense glare. "What do you know that you are hiding?"

Nygma leveled his own glare at his friend. "Nothing, I would just hate for something horrible to happen to not only Aura but my friend, you. Get dressed in your costume, mine is in the car. Once we get to my safe house I can track her phone."

Jonathan scoffed and growled softly in anger. Thankful that Scarecrow was still locked away so that he could think straight. "Did you not hear me? The butler said they cannot reach her."

"But he did not say that she did not have her phone. If they tried to call her, someone in that manor would have heard her phone going off. If they didn't hear it that leads me to think that she has it on her and for whatever reason is not answering it. Hopefully she just went to confront this friend of hers and is ignoring the calls while she is with him. I don't know but I will find out. We will find her, trust me."

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please review it would be lovely! Thank you to all reviewers of previous chapters!**


	13. Chapter 13

Aura parked her car two streets over from her destination. The keys were left in the ignition, the car still running, as she exited the vehicle. On the corner of 38th and Holland Road was a mailbox. The envelope Aura had prepared before she left was slipped from the pocket of her sweatshirt. The sight of the envelope caused her to second guess her decision for the first time that night. Was she really willing to give up everything, what little freedom she had left and any possibility of a future, just to save the remains of her family knowing full well that she may never see her father again after this night? Once she turned herself over to Joker, Aura knew that he would never let her be free again. There was no question about that. Once that boundary line was crossed she would never see her father, Susan, Bruce Wayne, nor any of the people she had met over the course of the short amount of time she spent in Gotham. Aura closed her eyes as she stood rooted to her spot infront of that graffiti covered, blue mailbox. The darkness behind her eyes suddenly bloomed into color. The color intensifying, changing from a blinding white to an icy blue. Eyes the color of ice were staring back at Aura from the darkness. Silent tears fell from her eyes as a vision of Jonathan Crane filled her mind. If she did this, if she gave up her freedom, she would never see Jonathan again. Would he be angry? Would he even care?

When Aura opened her eyes her decision had been made. She prayed that Jonathan would understand and forgive her for what she felt she had to do. Her father had given his all to raise her and he taught her the meaning of family. Joker could keep her locked away until the day she died, but as long as her father was allowed to live on in safety she would not care in the least. The door of the mailbox squeaked open on rusty hinges. Aura kissed the envelope, silently praying that it would make it to its predetermined location, before dropping it into the black depths of the mailbox. Aura shouldered the bag she had brought with her and began walking down to the intersection of 36th and Holland. This area of Gotham seemed to be all but abandoned. Large, half decrepit buildings surrounded the dark street. No sounds could be heard other than the very distant siren from the other side of the city. As Aura walked she pulled her bag further up her shoulder. Discontent filled her veins as the feeling of being utterly alone began to sink in. Once again she found herself in a situation that she could not control. Joker had all the cards in his favor, but she was determined not to just take this rolling over. Somehow she would find a way to swing this situation into her favor or at least to make it more bearable.

Standing on the corner of intersection was a man dressed in black military pants and an armored vest. He had clown painting covering his face. As Aura approached he threw the large automatic rifle up onto his shoulder and watched her come closer to him warily. Once she was halfway in the middle of the crosswalk did he level the muzzle of the gun at her. "Hold it right there, Missy," he growled out. Aura stopped where she was and put her hands up into the air, still clutching the strings of the bag in one hand. The thug looked her up and down before speaking again. "If you got a lick of sense in that pretty little head of yours, you would turn right around and walk away."

His tone was rough but at the same time a level of sincerity that all but shouted out that he did not want to hurt the young woman standing infront of him. Aura sighed deeply. There was still time for her to turn around and drive back to Wayne Manor and contact Gordon. No, she had to do this. She swallowed once before speaking. Her voice came out strong, hiding the uncertainty she felt. "I wish I could but I'm expected to be here. Where is Joker?"

The thug's mouth hung open in stunned silence as he regarded her. Finally he roused himself and shouldered his gun once again. "You this Net Raider the boss keeps going on about?"

"Net Runner," she growled out, "and yes that would be me." She looked around the empty street. If this was where the Joker wanted her to meet him at, then where the hell was he? She took out her phone and looked at the digital clock. The hour was almost up. "Is the Joker going to be meeting me here or what? I don't have much time."

The thug reached into his pocket. Out of reflex, Aura took a cautious step back but when a walkie-talkie was produced from the thug's pocket she relaxed. He whispered into the speaker and waited for the muffled response. The thug turned his back on her before motioning over his shoulder for Aura to follow him. "The boss is down the road some. He is most eager for your arrival Net Runner."

Silently Aura followed the thug, keeping a respectful distance between them just in case the man decided to turn around with that large gun again. It wouldn't do to make the man nervous when she was this close to freeing her father. About two blocks down the street the thug made an abrupt left into a dark alley between two crumbling old factory buildings. Aura sped up so she would not lose sight of the man only to collide with his armored back. The thug shot her a warning glare before he continued down the alley. A few yards into the narrow alley the thug stopped again. Aura looked infront of the man and saw a group of similarly dressed men in clown make up milling around a large white van with the Joker's face painted on the side. The back of the van was facing them and against those doors leaned the one and only Joker. His smile brightened when he noticed the thug and Aura's arrival.

Joker pushed himself away from the van and spread his arms wide. "Well look at that boys! Christmas came early this year!"

Aura narrowed her eyes. The thug that led her into the alley was the first to speak. "Boss she claims that she is Net Raider."

"Runner you idiot." Joker waved the thug over to the side as he came closer to Aura. Obediently the thug shuffled over to his friends and watched the scene unfold. Joker kept all his fierce attention on Aura. It took all she had not to strike out at the Rogue. Instead she adopted a cold, unfeeling expression and merely returned the Rouge's stare. His smile widened the closer he got to her, stopping a half arm's length away. "I'm afraid we have a problem."

"Problem?" Aura asked, careful to keep her voice level.

Joker nodded his head and pointed to the scarf on her head. "Net Runner is known to have naturally white hair like snow." Aura nodded. "Remove your head coverings and let us make sure that you are Net Runner."

Aura hesitated for the briefest of moments. The thugs around the two of them began shuffling on their feet. The longer the seconds ticked by that Aura did not act on Joker's demands the more they began to level their weapons in her direction. Aura dropped the bag at her feet and reached up to the hood of her sweatshirt. Her motions were carefully slow so that no one would become spooked and open fire. The hood dropped to her back and Aura began untying the scarf. Once the fabric fell away from her head, the long white hair spilled out and down her back. Aura stuffed the scarf into her pocket. Joker reached out and roughly pulled on her hair, checking to make sure it was real. Aura hid her pain as she felt her roots protest to the violent pull. "Satisfied or do you need further proof of my identity."

Joker smiled wider, the scars around his mouth contorting into horrific creases. "The man from Metropolis was right: you are a beauty. No wonder Scarecrow has claimed you." Joker motioned for two thugs to flank Aura, cutting off her escape routes. "Search her."

Aura looked back at the thugs then to the Rogue. "I came unarmed as you asked. This is not necessary."

"I believe it is." Joker nodded to the thugs. "Speaking of what I asked, did you tell your little boyfriend where you were going? You do realize that I will kill..."

"Yes," Aura cut him off. "I do realize that you will kill my father and anyone else that comes in between you and me. Do you think I am stupid?" Aura glared at one of the thugs as he snatched her bag from the ground and started digging through it. "Scarecrow has no idea that I am here."

"And Riddler?"

"What about him? I have no dealings with the man." Aura snapped.

Joker tsked softly. He reached out and grasped her chin roughly. "I seem to remember that Riddler helped the Scarecrow wrestle you away from my men the last time I almost had you."

Aura was shocked to hear this bit of news but was careful not to show it. "I was not aware of his involvement. Scarecrow does not tell me all of his dealings or movements."

The thug that led Aura to the Joker stood directly behind her and knelt down. He patted up her legs, paying special attention to the pockets of her sweatpants, before moving up to her jacket. The thug reached into her pocket and pulled out the scarf she had stuffed in, handing it off to the other man with her bag. The scarf was stuffed into the bag. The thug patting her down then reached into the pocket again and pulled out her cell phone and handed over to the Joker. Joker looked down at it questioningly. "The man from Metropolis told me all about you. This phone does not contain this 'Isis' I've heard so much about does it?"

Aura froze, her breath catching in her throat. She glanced at the phone for a few seconds trying desperately to think of her next move. "No," she said finally. "Isis was confiscated by the Metropolis Police before I was shipped off to Gotham. They said they were going to destroy it so that I could never use it again."

Joker's smiled faltered for the briefest of moments before it came back, stronger than ever. "Then I suppose you won't be needing this." The cell phone was dropped on the ground and repeatedly stomped on until it was in pieces. Aura expressed nothing as she watched the Rogue destroy her phone. The Joker turned his attention back to the thugs standing beside her. "What is in the bag?"

The thug with her bag snapped to attention. "Just a bunch of clothes and girl stuff. I did find this in her purse." The thug handed over a small compact to the Rogue.

Aura narrowed her eyes at the device, a chill running down her spine. How could she have forgotten that she put Batman's communications device into her purse before the Halloween Party? The purse was just thrown into her bag without her looking into it. Joker looked at the bat symbol on the top of it before cackling loudly. "Looks like our little Net Runner is two-timing Scarecrow. Tell me Nettie is Bats as serious in the sack as he is at everything else? Oh! Does he keep the mask on?"

She couldn't help herself. Aura laughed loudly at the Joker's questions, clutching her stomach as she did. "What? You think that Batman and me?" Her laughter grew until she was breathless. "Amusing but I in no way, shape, or form have been in bed with Batman. I was given that when I was brought to Gotham. He thought it would be a good idea for me to have it just in case I found myself in trouble." Aura shrugged. "I honestly forgot all about that stupid little thing."

Joker looked at the man with her bag, stuffing the device into his pocket. "Throw that into the van and bring out our guest."

Aura glared darkly at the Joker, her body tensing. Every muscle in her body was primed to jump onto the Rogue at any moment. She glanced to the goon as he came back with a man in tow, head bowed and arms bound behind his back. Aura did not call out to the man as much as she wanted to. Instead she redirected her attention to the Rogue in front of her. "I have fulfilled my end of this agreement. I will go willingly with you and do whatever you need me to do. So let my father go."

Drake Warren lifted his head weakly at the sound of his daughter's voice. Despite his swollen eyes and bruised cheeks, he smiled brightly at Aura. Aura looked deeply into his eyes but mastered her face to express nothing. "Aura," his voice came out in a strangled whisper, "Do not give this man anything. Just run away!" The goon holding Drake Warren slammed his fist into the man's stomach, silencing his words.

Aura looked back at Joker. "Release him and our deal is done."

Joker began to pace in front of Aura. "You see we have another problem, Aura."

Her lavender eyes narrowed as the Joker spoke her name menacingly. "What problem do we have?"

"You see, I paid the man in Metropolis a lot of money for the information on you and this program you use. My problem is," Joker stopped pacing and pointed his finger at Aura, "you lost the exact thing that I needed you to use for me."

Aura's heart began to beat faster. "It was not my fault that it was taken from me."

"Regardless," Joker began, moving closer to her father. "Our little deal is now hanging on a thread. You see I needed you to be able to execute my plan within a few days and now it is going to take much longer. That is assuming you can recreate that program of yours?" Aura reluctantly nodded. "I'm not a very patient man and I do believe I have waited long enough. Kill him."

"No!" Aura screamed, launching herself towards the Rogue. Joker merely backhanded her across the face, swatting her away as if she were nothing. Aura hit the ground hard but immediately tried to rise back to her feet. Two goons grabbed her arms and pushed her back to her knees. Joker held his hand up, stopping the men holding Drake from readying their weapons. Aura looked to her father then to the Rogue. "Please don't do this! I can make Isis again. I can make a thousand of them for you just let my dad go!" she pleaded, tears streaming from her eyes.

Joker crouched down in front of Aura, holding her chin tightly so that she had to look into his dark eyes. "I didn't get want I wanted so why should you. Consider this a final warning should you fail me. Recreate your program and do my bidding or Scarecrow will be next. Now say your good-byes to dear old daddy."

Aura's throat clenched as Joker let go of her face. She looked pleadingly up at the Rogue but was met with a wall of ice. The man was unmoved. "Aura," her father called out to her. The calm in his voice was eerie and Aura knew that was the sound of a man submitting himself to his own fate. "Aura, honey please stop crying."

Aura struggled against her captures as she looked at her father, beaten and battered. "Dad they are going to..."

"I know." He smiled at her. "Your mother is waiting for me. Please promise me something sweetheart."

Aura shook her head vigorously. Once again she looked to the Rogue who was merely smiling at her grief. "Let him go! I'll do anything you want! Please!"

"Aura," Drake Warren called out to her again. The thug at his side was pulling a large knife from its holster on his leg. "Aura promise me that you will never lose yourself in this city. Never stop fighting! Never forget who you are and never lose sight of yourself."

"Dad," Aura whispered out, her voice cracking.

"Remember the scarecrow in the field and the statue we gave you?" Aura nodded weakly. Joker took the knife from the thug, moving closer to her father. "The scarecrow, he will protect now and forever. Your mother and I will always watch over you Aura. We love you, snowflake. I'm so proud of you."

Aura screamed as Joker slammed the knife into her father's lower stomach, sinking the blade down to the hilt. The Rogue roughly drug the blade up until it caught on the sternum. Joker wrenched the blade free and slammed it over and over into the man's heaving chest. Her father tried to remain standing but the pain and blood loss caused his legs to fail. Drake Warren fell to the ground, his sightless eyes staring into his daughter's as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Aura felt her own strength flee from her limbs and she sagged against the two men holding her. All the fight she had in her body was gone in an instant and she stared uncomprehendingly at the corpse of her father surrounded in a growing puddle of his own blood. She barely registered as Joker ordered the goons to pack her away in the van. They left her father laying on the cold ground and pulled Aura into the back of the white van. She continued to stare at the corpse until the doors of the van shut and then her consciousness turned to black.

VvVvVvVvVvVv

Edward Nygma glanced away from his monitor at Jonathan Crane. They had arrived in record time to Nygma's safe house deep in the Narrows only moments ago. No sooner did they arrive were they flying up the stairs and into the command center of the Riddler. Nygma got to work immediately in locating Aura's cell phone but ran into a snag at the amount of net usage that was going on at the moment. It appeared everyone in Gotham was plugging up the net with ridiculous social media posts about the Halloween video the Joker made; and unlike Net Runner, he didn't have the luxury of being able to force those people off of the net. Not yet at least, the signal jammers he had created to help him control the airwaves of Gotham were only half-finished. Half of the users were calling for Aura's, the Net Runner's, head while the other half were trying to defend the actions of the commissioner and Batman, claiming that the men have always had the city's best interests at heart so this time was no different.

While Nygma was working away on his monitor, Jonathan Crane had gotten changed into the Scarecrow's costume except for the mask which lay on the work table beside him. Nygma watched as his friend pulled the weapons from the satchel bag Jonathan had brought with him. The needle gauntlet was secured to his back and currently Jonathan was sharpening his scythe, sitting in the chair in the corner. Edward knew he was doing everything he could to keep his mind from the missing Aura. Once again the thought of exposing that Net Runner was Aura crossed Edward's mind only to be pushed back. Telling the already on edge Jonathan that Aura was most likely with the Joker and not at this friend's house would only push his friend off of the edge. Jonathan inhaled sharply as he sliced his finger on the scythe's sharp edge.

Nygma pushed himself from his chair and grabbed a first aid kit from under the desk. He tossed it to Jonathan who caught it with his free hand. Nygma leaned against the work table beside the armchair Jonathan occupied and placed a steadying hand on his friend's shoulder. "You need to calm down. Being this nervous will only make it harder for the both of us to work."

Jonathan finished wrapping his wound before glaring up at Nygma. The fury in his eyes was barely contained. "I'm not nervous. This isn't the first time I have had to take over as Scarecrow you realize."

Nygma knitted his brows together in slight confusion. While he had noticed that his friend had been acting weird the entire night, unusually subdued, the reason never fully occurred to him. He merely thought that Jonathan was relaxed after having a good night with Aura. But Jonathan couldn't have done what Nygma suspected he did, could he? After a few seconds of staring into those icy blue eyes, Edward finally racked up the courage to voice his suspicions. "Scarecrow is not going to help you?"

Jonathan looked down at his hands and shook his head. Nygma slumped his shoulders and let out a breath in relief. "Scarecrow is locked away inside my mind. He can't help me and besides, I won't give him the opportunity to hurt Aura again."

Before Nygma could stop himself, he reached out and swatted the back of Jonathan's head. Those icy eyes snapped back to his face and narrowed out in warning. One hand dropped down to the scythe's handle, gripping it tightly. Nygma noticed the action and for a fleeting instant reality hit him. Scarecrow was not fully locked away like Jonathan thought. The Rogue was still there just under the surface, quietly listening to everything play out while keeping his interest from his better half. Nygma steeled his expression, hiding the fear he felt rise from the realization that the Scarecrow was listening and still able to pop out to protect Jonathan at any moment. "Look, I don't know what the hell you and Scarecrow have going on between yourselves; and to be quite frank I don't really care. Aura may be in trouble for all we know and here you are sitting and pouting like a child. Who the fuck cares what Scarecrow did to Aura? He obviously did not hurt her and was able to keep your identity a secret."

"He could have hurt her, that is the point!" Jonathan said, standing to his full height. The scythe was clutched tightly into his hand, the blade curving wickedly towards Nygma. "I was not strong enough to push him back and he got out. Scarecrow could have hurt her..."

"But he didn't!" Nygma stood his ground. He stared at his friend through his mask with a look of compassion and understanding, both feelings that he almost never expressed. "Whether you want to believe me or not, Scarecrow cares about Aura too. I don't think he would hurt her intentionally like just some bimbo from the street corner." Nygma noticed as Jonathan's body relaxed slightly, the hand loosening around the scythe's handle. Finally the young man was beginning to think about the situation more fully. Nygma continued, "Like it or not, you need Scarecrow on this. Aura could be fine yes, but this is Gotham. She could be in trouble too." He replaced his hand on Jonathan's shoulder and guided him back to the armchair. "Make your piece with your crazy half. I need you to have a clear head when we leave here."

Nygma left Jonathan's side and resumed his seat in front of the massive array of monitors. Silently he promised himself that when and if they found Aura alive, Edward was going to make Aura upgrade his equipment to run at the same level Isis does. In the past, Nygma and Aura had done net battles against each other by hacking into top secret military bases and stealing information. Aura was always able to crack into the security first thanks to that program she created. Hell he knew that if Aura was here trying to track down him, she would have been done by now.

Jonathan cleared his throat behind Nygma. "Thank you Edward. For once you made sense and I apologize for my childish behavior. It appears me and Scarecrow have some issues to work through and boundaries to reestablish, but that should not get in the way of helping the one thing we both hold to heart."

Edward waved a dismissive hand over his shoulder before resuming clacking away at his keyboard. "Please don't get mushy on me. Just tell me I'm the greatest genius you have ever met and I will forgive you."

"Hardly," came the cold response. Edward turned around and met the cold stare of the Scarecrow. Jonathan had removed his glasses, storing them in one of the hidden pockets on his trousers, and donned the burlap mask. Temporarily Nygma froze as he stared at the Rogue in his full guise but that fear melted away once Scarecrow spoke again. The voice was cold and metallic, but there was still a hint of playfulness in it. "You are just a little more tolerable now than you were previously. Perhaps I won't kill you yet."

Edward turned back to the monitor, laughing nervously. Scarecrow loomed over his shoulder as a soft beeping issued from the speakers. "What the?" Edward whispered. A small triangle appeared on the map of Gotham indicating Aura's position. She was close but she was still, "In the Narrows?" Nygma stared at the screen. What the hell would possess Aura to be in the Narrows at this time of night? Then it hit Jonathan like a sack of bricks: Aura was turning herself over to Joker in exchange for her parents. He glanced nervously up at the Rogue behind him. Did he dare tell Scarecrow about Aura or wait until they get there and let the Rogue come up with his own conclusions?

"That friend must live in the Narrows," Scarecrow growled out. "Not surprising that low class scum like that lives in this place." Jonathan looked back at the screen settling on the fact that Jonathan and Scarecrow can figure it out for themselves. Scarecrow would surely kill him if he knew that Nygma held back Aura's identity from him. He very much liked living. Suddenly the triangle on the screen disappeared, followed by the deep growling of the Rogue behind him. "What happened?"

Nygma clicked a few buttons then jumped up. "Get your shit. That was Aura's phone being destroyed."

Scarecrow said nothing as he grabbed the scythe and followed Nygma down the stairs. Nygma grabbed his cane by the door and ran out. Holland Road was not far from his safe house and it would be quicker to cut through the familiar alleyways to the location of Aura's phone. The silence was only broken by Riddler's own labored breathing as they ran. He looked back to make sure that Scarecrow had followed him and was stunned to see the Rogue right beside him. Scarecrow was running like a silent shadow, not make any noise from breathing and carefully placing his feet so that they made barely any sound. Scarecrow was a pro at stealth apparently. It was truly amazing to be able to see the Rogue in action.

Riddler grabbed a pipe connected to a building on the left to swing himself into the correct alley, so that he didn't stumble or collide with Scarecrow. Both Rouges froze at the sight they saw. Back doors to a white van had just slammed shut and the tires screeched as the van shot down the alley. Out of instinct Riddler pulled his pistol from its holster and started firing at the van. A cold hand clamped down on his wrist and Riddler was thrown into a brick wall. Scarecrow held the scythe to his neck. "What do you think you are doing? Aura could be in there."

Riddler shook his head to clear it and replaced the gun after Scarecrow released him. "Sorry, I was trying to hit the tires. I'm not the best shot in the world."

Both of them fell silent as they walked closer to the van's previous location. A breath hitched in Riddler's throat as they came upon the corpse of the man from television, Aura's father. Scarecrow used his foot to pushed the man onto his back before crouching down to inspect the wounds. Riddler was sure it was Jonathan who was out now but without looking into the man's eyes or being able to watch his movements it was impossible to tell. Riddler left the man to his work and began strolling around the narrow alley, looking for any clues. The van obviously belonged to Joker, the clown's face was printed on the side as it turned out of the alley. Silently he knew that Scarecrow knew this as well and that was why the Rogue was inspecting the corpse.

Riddler knelt down next to the remnants of a cell phone and cursed. Something obviously went wrong here, he just hoped that Aura was still alive. Carefully he fished through the broken glass with his purple gloved hand until he found the sim card. Could this be Isis? Riddler stood up from his spot when two brown clad legs appeared in front of him. Scarecrow held out the corpse's wallet, his scythe attached to his back. "That was Aura's father, Drake Warren. Joker has Aura."

Riddler nodded. "I have her sim card from her phone, maybe there is a clue on there as to where she is going."

Scarecrow threw down the wallet and crossed his arms. "All we have to do is find Joker's safe house and get Aura back."

"Do I look like Batman?" Riddler asked sarcastically but instantly regretted it when the Scarecrow reached for the gauntlet on his back. "Whoa! Take it easy I'm not your enemy remember."

"Maybe you should remind me why I do not kill you?" Scarecrow growled.

Riddler sighed when the Rogue recrossed his arms. "You're right, we need to ultimately find the Joker's safe house to get Aura. He just wants the Net Runner, so we know he won't hurt her until he gets what he wants." Riddler inwardly beamed at his carefully chosen words. "The problem is Joker has many hideouts and they could be anywhere. Gotham City is huge so this may take some time."

Scarecrow looked up at the sky, the night was quickly giving way to dawn. "Aura may not have time," he whispered.

Riddler shook his head. "Joker won't hurt her until he gets what he wants. She is much too valuable."

Scarecrow looked back towards him and sighed. The sound coming through the voice changer was haunted. "What do you suggest?"

As Riddler went to speak the loud roar of an engine caught them off guard. Both Rouges turned to the sound and stepped back as the Batman launched out of what could only be described as a miniature tank. Riddler ground his teeth together as the Batman ran towards them with full speed. "Do we run?" he asked the Rogue to his side.

Scarecrow said nothing as he donned the needled gauntlet. Batman slid to a halt in front of the two Rouges and narrowed his dark eyes from beneath the cowl. "What are you two doing here?"

Scarecrow waved his hand in dismissal, the needles flashing brilliantly as they caught the low light. "Hunting a clown is that not obvious?"

Batman zoomed his vision in on the burlap mask, all attention on Scarecrow. "Aura is none of your concern Scarecrow. Now tell me what happened here and I'll consider letting you two go or..."

"Or what?" Scarecrow challenged.

"Or we can have this same conversation at Arkham." Batman growled.

Riddler took his chance and used the Batman's tunnel vision with Scarecrow to sneak around behind him. He held his question mark cane like a bat and connected a solid hit onto the Dark Knight's head. The man toppled over like a sack of potatoes, completely unconscious. Riddler shook slightly at what he just did. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the unconscious hero until Scarecrow started laughing. "Took you long enough Nygma."

Riddler glared at his fellow Rogue. "Well I didn't know what the hell you were thinking. I was waiting for you to attack the oaf."

Scarecrow shrugged. "Go back to your safe house and start tracking down any leads. I'll be in touch."

Scarecrow had spun around on his heel and began to stalk away from the scene, back towards his own hideout he kept in the Narrows no doubt. Riddler stared after him, dumbfounded for a few seconds, before calling out. "Wait! What the hell are you going to do?"

Scarecrow stopped and turned around. He brought the needle gauntlet up to his eye level and flexed his fingers. The needles seemed to dance excitedly in his hands. "You have your ways and I have mine." With a cold, mercilessly laugh the Scarecrow bounded down the alley leaving Edward Nygma, The Riddler, to his own devices.


	14. Chapter 14

Jonathan collapsed into the chair behind his desk the second he wondered into his office. Needless to say, he was physically and mentally exhausted. The past week had flown by in a blur. His nights were filled with fruitless searches through the Narrows of Gotham City. Thankfully Scarecrow took up the helm during these escapades so that Jonathan could rest his mind for a short while. They followed pointless leads obtained from petty street thugs, all who claimed to know the whereabouts of the Joker's main safe house. None of these leads ever panned out. More often than not the Scarecrow would focus on hunting down any current member of the Joker Gang but after the abduction of Aura Warren and the video calling out the mysterious Net Runner, the Joker Gang all but disappeared from the city streets. Scarecrow instead was slowly turning to systematically inspecting every building in the Narrows, working his way slowly towards the city proper beyond. But after a week of intense searching, not one clue turned up.

During the day Jonathan Crane continued his work at Arkham Asylum. The Warden tried to persuade him to continue working, to keep his mind off of the disappearance of his girlfriend, instead of taking time off. The entire asylum knew about Aura's disappearance and Jonathan's connection to the woman. The police saw to that when they visited him the first Monday after her abduction. Commissioner Gordon led the crusade himself into Arkham and interviewed Jonathan in his own office. They were not suspicious of Jonathan in any way, or so they claimed, merely communicating with him as a formality since he was Aura's partner. Gordon tried his best to reassure Jonathan that the police would do anything that they could to find Aura as soon as possible but Jonathan knew otherwise. The only people he could count on were himself and Scarecrow. Batman was far to busy dealing with the Rogue Gallery and Commissioner Gordon had his hands full weeding out the rotten apples in his own police department. Why would either of them concern themselves over a lone woman with nothing to offer the Joker in regards to the betterment of Gotham?

After the interview with the Commissioner, Jonathan's house was searched as another way to rule him out. Aura of course had never set foot into his private home so there was nothing for them to find. The objects taken from her apartment by Scarecrow were currently locked away in his safe house in the Narrows, except the statue which sat on his dresser before his bed. Once the search was conducted at his private home the police fully ruled him out as a suspect in connection with Aura's disappearance. That first Tuesday, Bruce Wayne addressed the public on Aura's abduction and offered a substantial reward for any information that would lead to her safe recovery. Ten million certainly brought an abundance of information from the public but nothing that the police had been able to use so far. Jonathan was surprised to find on Wednesday that the billionaire was awaiting him in his Arkham office. Bruce looked terrible. Sleep had obviously not come easy to the man. They talked for hours of nothing, merely enjoying the quite comfort in having a companion whom felt the same empty hollow that followed in the wake of Aura's disappearance. Wayne then treated Jonathan to lunch before leaving him shortly afterward.

Thursday was the first day in which Jonathan began his own investigation. While Scarecrow controlled their body at night in his searches, Jonathan was fully in control during the day. The Rogue inside him slept peacefully, giving him no pause during the daytime hours. Thankful for the small respite this offered, Jonathan began to think of ways to begin his own search. Carefully he traded most of his normal patients out for smaller time criminals. On any normal day, Doctor Jonathan Crane handled a great deal of the Rogue Gallery himself. He seemed to be one of the only doctors that had the unique ability to speak the language of these dangerous men without inciting them to violence. The other doctors, while not eager to take the high profile patients from him, traded them regardless to help alleviate the stress on their head psychiatrist and colleague. Now his patients consisted of Jervis Tetch and a few members of the Joker Clan and Penguin's Flock.

Jonathan treated these new patients like he would any other though a secret agenda had begun to form inside his mind. Carefully placed questions within the interview process about any knowledge of the Net Runner provided little answers for him. The members of the Joker Clan were only able to confirm that Joker was actively searching for the Metropolis Rogue, though none of them could tell him why. One however revealed something startling: the Net Runner, according to Joker, was a woman. That patient had been given a low dose of Scarecrow's fear toxin. The resulting attack on Jonathan Crane netted the criminal an extended stay in the solitary confinement cells in the basement. Jonathan had plans to meet up with that man later this very day, though more pressing concerns filled his attention at the moment. The Penguin goons did not net too much in the way of useful information for his cause. Though Jonathan suspected the Penguin himself may be more useful. While Jonathan only had a short time with the man the last time the portly Rogue found himself in Arkham, he got the vibe that Penguin was a man that played his cards close to the chest.

The Friday after Aura's disappearance was strangely uneventful. Many of his colleagues made it a point to stop by his office and offer their hand in any help he may need. The false concern in most of their eyes was enough to make him want to release a lethal does of the fear toxin into the ventilation system, but surprisingly Scarecrow was the voice of reason that afternoon. Jonathan could feel his resolve slipping that day. Despite his strong urge to interrogate the criminal locked in the padded cell in the basement, Jonathan took the rest of that Friday off. For the first time in his career at Arkham, Jonathan went home early. Though, sadly, he did not go home for much needed rest. Instead he found his way back to Edward Nygma's safe house after changing into the Scarecrow's guise. He was always careful to be in the costume, should someone other than Nygma be present. Since the night they tracked down Aura to that alley in the Narrows, Edward had been supremely useful. The Rogue had forgone his own plans for heists to help his friend. Selflessness was a rare feat for the man who called himself The Riddler, and Jonathan was thankful for the man's help. Nygma tracked down all internet chatter as well as telephone and radio communications, looking for anything they could use to pinpoint Joker's location. So far nothing had come across his searches.

When Jonathan visited, the two Rouge's sat in companionable silence. Edward himself had begun to show signs of irritation and fatigue. Sunday night, on another of Jonathan's visits, the two women who worked for Nygma made a comment about it being a useless quest and that Aura was probably already dead. In a fit of rage, Nygma hurled a steaming pot of coffee towards the women, the pot smashing itself against the wall. He proclaimed that he would not be outsmarted by a clown. That if they thought what he was doing was useless than in retrospect they thought him useless. The two women were unceremoniously thrown from the safe house, much to Jonathan's amusement. One threatened to turn the two of them into the police but one look at the needled gauntlet being secured onto Scarecrow's wrist was enough to put the fear of death into their fragile little minds.

Now it was Monday again, a full week that Aura was gone. In Gotham that meant one of two things: she was never going to come back the same, if she came back at all, or Jonathan should start looking in the river. He sighed, his breath fluttering papers on the desktop. Sunlight streamed in from the high, barred windows in his office bathing him in a bright, warm glow. Jonathan's muscles ached and the warmth felt good. While his mind was afforded a slight rest each night as Scarecrow took over, his body was suffering from the constant action. Neither himself nor the Rogue had stopped long enough to sleep. Jonathan slipped his glasses off and closed his heavy eyes, intending to catch a short nap before his scheduled session with Tetch. A knock on the door a few minutes later however, threw that idea out of the window.

Jonathan sat up and ran a hand through his brown hair before slipping his glasses back on. "Come in," he called out to the intruder.

Doctor Jack Barrow, the head doctor from the medical building, stepped into his office. A large metal clipboard clasped in one hand, a cup of hot coffee in the other. Jack smiled as he handed the coffee to Jonathan before taking his seat across from the desk. "Jonathan, you look absolutely terrible."

Jonathan raised his eyebrows in surprise at the older man's lack of subtlety. "Well good morning to you too."

"Morning?" Barrow furrowed his brows together and gave Jonathan a suspicious look. "Doctor Crane it is almost two in the afternoon."

Jonathan pushed back the sleeve of his suit coat and looked at his watch. He had arrived at Arkham at his usual time, seven in the morning. After a cup of coffee, he collected his patient charts from medical reception for the new patients he had transferred to him. That took all of an hour and he was back in his office no later than half past eight. That was when he had collapsed in his chair and closed his eyes for only a few seconds. Could it be that he had actually passed out for over four hours? Barrow cleared his throat causing Jonathan to refocus onto the older doctor, recovering his watch with a shrug. "I suppose time flies when one is working."

"Or sleeping," Barrow chuckled. "I came by around lunch but you were passed out. Called your name a few times, poked your head, but I got nothing out of you." Another laugh issued from the warm man. "After I made sure you were still breathing, I simply retreated to let you sleep. About a hour later I got a call from the Warden. Seems he would like me to talk to you and evaluate if you are medically sound to continue working."

Jonathan scoffed, his irritation rising. "Does he intend to fire me for being tired?"

"No, he would be an idiot to let a brilliant man like you go." Barrow crossed his legs and leaned the clipboard on his knee. "He simply wants to make sure that you are sound to work. If not he intends to force your vacation on you until you are well rested and of a sound mind once again. Personally I think he is just trying to cover his own ass after the chewing Wayne gave it."

"Wayne?" Jonathan narrowed his eyes suspiciously. What business did Bruce Wayne have with the Warden of Arkham? More importantly what did it have to do with himself?

"You mean to tell me you didn't hear about it?" Barrow shook his head in disbelief. "You do know Wayne Enterprises is one of the main contributors to Arkham Asylum. They donate millions every year to ensure that we have the top of the line equipment and security in place to treat the patients we see. It has been this way since the early days of Wayne Enterprises. So of course when one of the Waynes call and makes a request of the Warden or board of directors of Arkham, they are hard pressed to ignore it."

"What does this have to do with me?" Jonathan snapped. The biting tone he took with Barrow was instantly regretted, but the older man simply let it roll off his shoulder. Years of practice with hostile inmates made the man immune to such behavior.

"Bruce Wayne called Warden Sharp last Friday demanding that he allow you an extended leave. Even offered to pay your salary if you did not have the time on the books. Sharp assured him that you had agreed to remain on staff while the investigation of your missing girlfriend was ongoing but Wayne did not believe a word of it. Personally I don't blame him. We both know how trustworthy old Sharp can be." Barrow took out a pen and jotted some notes down on his clipboard. "So I was asked by the board to come and evaluate you during your next session today to ensure that you are still giving adequate treatment to your patients. I was also asked to make sure your personal health is not suffering in any way."

Jonathan smiled and laughed softly. "So what do you think?" He stretched his arms out wide and leaned back. "Am I crazy doctor?"

The look Barrow gave him was warm, but a hint of sadness played in the dark brown eyes. "Jonathan, no one would blame you if you took time off. The asylum will go on like it does everyday and it would still be here when you came back. You look exhausted, like you haven't slept in days, and your cheeks are thinning. Are you even eating?" Jonathan dropped his arms to rest on his desk once again but remained silent. Of course he was eating, when he remembered to. Normally he remembered when his body began to violently become nauseous or when his legs gave out from lack of energy. While his mind was afforded a short rest while Scarecrow scoured the Narrows, his body had yet had such luxury. The silence though was all Barrow needed. The older man sat back and gave Jonathan a fatherly look of concern. "You know I lost my wife twenty years ago to a madman. One of the very same we treat here. I was like you, young and ambitious and hardworking. I thought that if I kept working the pain of her death would just go away and be buried in my mind forever. But I was wrong. Not taking the time to heal and come to terms with her loss was one of the worst mistakes I ever made."

Jonathan clenched his back teeth together. Showing his personal feelings to anyone was difficult for Jonathan to do but there was just something about Barrow that called out for him to open up. "How did you ever heal?"

Barrow smiled. "I didn't. As doctors we treat people everyday, saving them from the very brink of death and darkness that would otherwise swallow them whole; but the one person we can never fully help is ourselves. Eventually I learned to live with Macy's death and even learned to move on without her. Though she forever walks with me where ever I go. What I am trying to tell you Jonathan is to take the time you need to let your heart heal." Barrow leaned over and grabbed one of Jonathan's hands before the young doctor had the chance to pull away. "I pray every night since I learned that Aura was your girlfriend, that she is found and returned to you safely. Gotham can be a terrible place but it is not beyond giving out a few miracles."

Jonathan let out a breath when his hand was released and Barrow stood up, his back to the desk. Since she had disappeared, Jonathan had not spoken nor heard Aura's name. Even Jim Gordon was careful not to say her name, merely referring to her as "the victim." When he watched the speech Wayne gave out on the reward he offered, it was like watching someone curse on live television. Every time Aura's name was spoken, his mind would bleep it out automatically. Jonathan stood, grabbing the file for Tetch from his desk, and silently led the way to his normal therapy room. Barrow followed behind him, calling his hellos out to various doctors as he passed. Before he switched to the medical building, Jack Barrow had once been a top psychiatrist. Many of the doctors in Jonathan's building missed having the old man around, but Barrow seemed set on staying in the medical wing. Whatever his reasons were, he never spoke of them.

Tetch had already been delivered to the therapy room by the time Jonathan and Barrow entered. Barrow took a seat in one corner as Jonathan assumed his usual seat on the other side of the patient. Tetch had his arm shackles connected to his belt in the usual fashion but the Rogue was still able to make use of his arms as he sipped a small Styrofoam cup of tea. Jonathan crossed one long, thin leg over the other. The calf muscles screamed at his new position. All of the running Scarecrow was doing seemed to be having a horrible reaction to his tired legs as they were constantly cramping. Jonathan ignored the pain and discomfort, hiding it masterfully. "Good evening Jervis."

"Good evening, Doctor Crane," the Rogue responded.

Jonathan motioned to Barrow in the corner. "This is Doctor Barrow. He will be sitting with us tonight for an evaluation. Is that alright with you, Mr. Tetch."

Jervis nervously looked from Jonathan to Barrow and back again. The man's ferret like features scrunched up for a second before relaxing. "Always a joy to have more friends over for tea. You do know it is my very merry unbirthday today."

"Mine as well." Jonathan clenched his teeth. He had been hoping to end this session with Tetch early and begin his work with the patient in the basement but with Barrow's involvement he would have to play out the entire hour long session. Trying his best to remain cordial with the Rogue was however trying his patience. The only reason Tetch had remained under his care was because of the general fear of the Rouge's unique mind control abilities. The female doctors would not go near him as he was easily excitable around potential "Alices." The other male doctors were all over booked with the other members of the Rogue Gallery currently in Arkham to take on Tetch. Therefor Jonathan was stuck with the man who could offer him no aid in his quest for finding information on Joker.

Jervis smiled toothily and sipped his tea. "May I be frank with you Doctor?"

Jonathan pulled himself from his thoughts and scribbled a few notes down on Tetch's file. "We can discuss anything you have questions on at the end of the session, Jervis." The smile faded as the Rogue sipped the tea again. "The orderlies inform me that you are having trouble sleeping. Why is that?"

"It is the new neighbor I fear. He is much to loud for my taste, screaming at all hours of the night." Jervis made a sour face as he recalled the memory.

A few shuffles of the file in his hands and Jonathan was looking at the new patient transfer sheet, listing the inhabitants for the Rogue Gallery. Jervis Tetch's cell was at the end of a long line in the Rogue Gallery, normally situated across from Joker's normal cell. The neighbor Jervis spoke of, seemed to have been transferred in less then four days ago. Jonathan recited the name, "Victor Zsasz is your neighbor now correct? I wonder why he was placed in the Rogue Wing versus solitary confinement this time?"

Barrow cleared his throat and Jonathan narrowed his eyes to him. "I treated Zsasz when he came in from his latest bout with GCPD. He seemed to be suffering heavily from some sort of street drug and I had him sent to the Rogue Wing to sober up since there was an unused cell there. I was not aware that he was normally housed in solitary until the following day when they returned him. Zsasz seemed to be suffering from some mental breakdown. He continued to laugh until his jaw dislocated and we were forced to sedate him further. Medical is still waiting for the toxin analysis of his blood. He is scheduled to be moved into solitary after his check up with medical tonight."

"The dreadful things he was saying." Jervis shook his head. Jonathan returned his gaze back to Tetch. The Rogue matched Jonathan's gaze for the first time without shrinking back. The look of concern passed through over his features. "I was sorry to hear of your Alice's abduction. A shame Zsasz got a hold of her too. There was probably so much blood." Jervis dropped his head to his chest and his eyes glazed over. "Zsasz is not a very nice man when it comes to a young Alice as pretty as the one they showed on the telly."

Jonathan felt his skin prickle. Scarecrow had roused himself at Mad Hatter's words. _**'Zsasz attacked Aura? Could he be lying? If that man raped Aura, he will die.'**_

_'I don't think Jervis is lying but we can't jump to any conclusions. Barrow said Zsasz came into medical laughing and was clearly drugged with something. Joker's toxic gas is the only thing I can think of with the ability to cause someone to laugh until their jaw breaks. We will have to pay a visit to Mr. Zsasz.' _ A violent current ran down Jonathan's spine. Scarecrow was clawing his way through and Jonathan knew he would not be able to stop him. Part of him did not want to either.

Suddenly the young doctor threw himself to his feet, the patient file fluttering to the floor followed by an empty Styrofoam cup. Scarecrow had his hands wrapped around the collar of Tetch's jumpsuit and had hauled him off of the chair. The small man dangled helplessly in midair as the stronger Rogue shook him violently. Barrow had jumped to his feet as well but rather than attempt to stop Jonathan from strangling the patient, he moved infront of the therapy room door. The older man blocked the only entrance so that no one could interrupt the two inside. Scarecrow gave the small man a wicked smile and in a quiet, eerily calm voice asked, "What did Zsasz say? Tell me everything Hatter."

Jervis gasped for air and Scarecrow loosened his grip only enough for the man to talk. With a final, violent shake that caused the small man's head to rock back and forth, Tetch opened his mouth. "I see the darkness I felt in your mind has bubbled over."

Scarecrow growled low, warningly. Barrow had slipped himself from the room to keep the guard outside of the door distracted. Jonathan mused, _'It would seem that Barrow has a little practice in these sorts of things. Scarecrow finish quickly here. The last thing I need is for others to find out what kind of darkness I am harboring inside my mind.'_

Scarecrow put pressure on Tetch's collarbone with one hand. Squeezing hard, he smiled ruefully as the Rogue stifled a scream as the bone gave beneath the strong pressure. "I suggest you talk quickly and tell me what I want to hear."

"Zsasz would often scream in between his laughing fits that night. He spoke of an "Alice" held by Joker. He said, 'Joker paid me to keep her under control. If he didn't like my methods he should have gotten someone else. He never said I couldn't...'" Tetch darted his eyes away from Jonathan's intense eyes.

"Couldn't what? What did Zsasz do to Aura?" Scarecrow hissed out.

Jervis Tetch looked anywhere but at the man holding him. "Couldn't make her his."

Scarecrow's mind went blank as white hot anger erupted in his head. Jonathan quickly pushed the Rogue back into his mind, struggling to keep the darkness from taking control of his mind again. Jonathan dropped Tetch. Before the small man could react to being free, Jonathan reached into his pocket and brought out a syringe. After removing the cap with the flick of his thumb, Jonathan sunk the needle deep into Tetch's neck. The plunger was pushed as far down as the needle's drum would allow it to go, administering the heavy sedative. Within seconds Tetch's body fell limply against Jonathan's chest. The young doctor unceremoniously nudged the Rogue until he was prone on the sterile tile floor.

Jonathan took care to straighten his clothes and collect the patient file that scattered across the floor during the struggle. Once all the pages were in their proper place, Jonathan moved to the exit and opened the door. Barrow and a guard were currently engrossed in the latest gossip from around the asylum. Neither man even noticed the young doctor's presence until he cleared his throat. Jonathan motioned the guard to the room behind him. "Mr. Tetch seemed to get a little antsy today so I sedated him. See to it that when he wakes up in a few hours that he is allowed to have an extended time in the exercise yard. I am hoping that if he is allowed to burn off the excess energy that he will be more cooperative the next time I meet with him."

The guard nodded in understanding. "Yes Doctor Crane. I'll let the orderlies know."

Jonathan snapped his fingers. "Also see to it that the patients supply of tea is replenished in his cell. Use the special reserve that I give him when he is on his very best behavior."

The guard looked thoroughly puzzled at this new request. "You want me to give him a treat after he was..."

Jonathan cut the guard a look that spoke volumes. He was not in the mood to be questioned right now. "I did not stutter when I gave my order. Perhaps you do not see what I am trying to accomplish here considering you probably do not have a PhD in psychiatry. So I will try my best to fill you in. Tetch has proven himself a good patient in the past and had continued to show great strives towards becoming a functioning member of society once again. Though it seems that the man has found himself under a considerable amount of stress lately. Through the actions I just ordered you to take I have insured that the patient will have multiple avenues to relieve said stress in a healthier environment." Jonathan slipped his glasses off, cleaned them, and then replaced them. He gave the guard a dismissive and final look. "Perhaps the next time you decide to question my abilities, or to give out your unneeded opinion as a doctor and thinking yourself the better man, you will think twice. If however I find myself in need of an opinion on a security matter I will be sure to contact you."

The guard tensed his jaw, giving off the impression that he had something to say back to the doctor. But to Jonathan's surprise the oaf finally thought better of the situation. The guard turned on his heel, disappearing into the therapy room and reemerging minutes later dragging the unconscious Rogue behind him. Barrow laughed loudly when the guard disappeared into a nearby elevator. Jonathan felt the wind knock out of him as the older man clasped him roughly onto the back.

Barrow winked at Jonathan. "You remember how you asked me how I healed and I said that I never did? Well I lied." Barrow wrapped an arm around Jonathan's slender shoulders and pulled him in close as they walked down the halls, back towards Jonathan's office. When he spoke his tone was uncharacteristically low and conspiratorial. "One year after my wife died, the man who attacked her was admitted in this asylum. Mysteriously he vanished from his cell one night while the guards were switching their rotation."

"Did you have something to do with this mystery?" Jonathan whispered.

"Listen my boy. I got my revenge but was never able to let go the hurt I felt. Not even watching the blood drain from that monster's face was enough to satisfy me. I eventually had to leave the psychiatric program to get away from the memories. It was only a few years ago that I was able to come back to Arkham but I still cannot find myself going near the basement were I killed that monster. What I am trying to say is be careful and," Barrow looked around them to ensure they were alone, "make sure that if you find the man who took your woman, you make sure you can live with whatever decision you make. Be careful around here. You were lucky that I was there to distract that guard. The last thing you need is for someone else to see what you are trying to do. They would have you locked away until your woman shows back up just to keep you from doing something stupid." With a final warm squeeze of Jonathan's shoulder Barrow said his goodbyes.

_'It looks like I have an unlikely ally. Barrow is right I need to be more careful. I need to learn to control my anger better.'_ Jonathan thought.

_**'Your anger or me?'**_ Scarecrow asked, playfully.

_'To be quite honest,'_ Jonathan chuckled slightly, _'we could both use a little lesson in self-control.'_

VvVvVvVvVvVv

Jim Gordon sat back in his chair with a great sigh. A few of his high ranking officers assigned to the Aura Warren abduction case were milling about his office. They had just finished giving their report from the prior week and just like Gordon thought, nothing had changed. The only thing they knew for certain was that Joker was the one behind Aura's disappearance and somehow Victor Zsasz fit into this case somewhere. Gordon waved all the officers out of his office. Once the final one left and the door closed behind him, Gordon kicked his feet up on his desk. His eyes drooped closed as he tried to recall all that he had learned over the past week. Somehow Joker knew that Aura was the Net Runner. Since the night that he took her the entire Joker Clan seemed to crawl back into the shadows. Not one member of Joker's crew had been seen since.

The scene of the abduction itself held no clues. The Riddler and Scarecrow were the first on the scene, followed shortly by Batman himself. Speaking of the Dark Knight, Batman was being fully cooperative with the police on this matter. The caped man seemed quite anxious to get the young girl back and for obvious reasons. They still had no idea where the program that Net Runner used was. If Joker got his hands on that thing, the whole of Gotham City would be laid at his feet. Aura's cell phone laid in pieces at the crime scene and without the sim card it was completely useless. Bruce Wayne had allowed them to take the laptop from Aura's room at Wayne Manor as well as the computer she frequently used while at Wayne Enterprises in hopes her program was uploaded on one of them.

The police were told to start hunting anyone down that wore Joker's colors and bring them in for questioning. Any sightings of Scarecrow or Edward Nygma were also to be reported and if possible the two Rouges brought in. Jonathan Crane posed no help either. Aura had only ever been inside of his car and he was completely unaware of who she really was according to Wayne. But none of that mattered. They were slowly starting the second week and with no leads on Aura's location, many officers were giving up hope. They all assumed that she must be dead already but Gordon knew better. Joker wanted Aura for that program for some reason and they had to stop him.

A cold wind blew through the office from the once closed window that now stood wide open. Jim Gordon huffed softly but did not open his eyes. Only one person was capable of coming in through the high window or would dare try. "You do know I have a perfectly good door for you to use?"

"Too many eyes to see me come in." The rough voice of Batman sounded from the window sill. Jim cracked open one eye to see the caped crusader perched on the window's edge, cape blowing in the autumn breeze. "I found something you might be interested in."

Gordon sat up in his chair and took the offered file from Batman. Inside were photos of an abandoned car covered in graffiti. "Is this the car that Wayne reported missing?" Gordon glanced up at the silent hero and saw his nod. "Looks like someone did a number on it. Joker's men?"

Batman shook his head. "Fingerprints taken from the steering wheel led to a low level drug dealer who claimed to have picked up the vehicle from around Holland. He said the keys were left in the ignition and no one was around the vehicle." Gordon flipped to another picture to see multiple parts were missing from the interior including the radio. "Before you ask, no there was no trace of anyone else having been inside of Aura's car other than herself and this drug dealer."

"So she ditches her car away from the abduction sight and walks to meet Joker. Why would she do something like this?" Gordon tossed the photos onto his desk. "Why would she not call me? We could have..."

"A lot could have been different but she made the only choice she saw possible at the time. If Aura would have asked for help, Joker would have killed both of her parents without a moments hesitation."

"Yeah well he did that anyway. Aura won't even be able to see her parents again before we bury them. Thankfully Mr. Wayne is funding their burial so at least they will rest easy now." A silence descended in the small office.

Batman stood on the sill of the window and turned his back. "I am going to look into Wayne Manor, try to find her program Isis. Joker is after it and Aura would have been smart enough not to take it with her. If we can find that then we will have the upper hand."

"Yeah you do that. We are still trying to track down any leads from the public tips," he paused when he had the odd feeling that he was alone. Sure enough, one look back towards the window revealed that Batman had already left. "Of course I'm talking to myself." Gordon growled, turning back to his desk and pulling out the file from Metropolis on all the information they had on Aura Warren, Net Runner. The report from Star City had just come in that morning for him to look over as well. It seemed there was little evidence at the parents safe house to point to what the Joker was planning either. There had to be something in these files that could point them towards discovering why the Joker would need her.

VvVvVvVvVvVv

Finally the last patient of the day was being escorted from the therapy room. Jonathan stood from his chair and straightened his suit. He was expected to clock out and return home within the hour and Jonathan planned to use every second of his time wisely. The patient from the Joker Clan was released from the isolation cells by his order a few hours ago. There was no sense in wasting time on the low level thug when there were bigger fish waiting for him now. Victor Zsasz had been moved into the empty isolation cell after lunch that afternoon. Now was the perfect opportunity for Jonathan to make his move and have a little talk with Zsasz.

With a quick trip to his office first in order to drop off the patient file he had in his possession and to instruct the nurse on his floor that he had a meeting to attend to. Gloria was a sweet older woman in charge of carrying out his instructions and helping with his daily paperwork that never seemed to end. She had been with him for his entire career here at Arkham and by now was well aware of all his particular ways of doing things. There was no chance that she would be bothering him tonight. Gloria knew that if he had a meeting that she was free to finish her own work and go home. Jonathan slipped a sealed envelope from his pocket and gently placed it in the center of the woman's desk. Just a simple birthday card with a gift card to Gloria's favorite hobby store. She was one of the only people that Jonathan felt a certain fondness for. Gloria had become sort of a motherly figure for him even when the word was still foreign to him after all these years.

Jonathan slipped back into his office after delivering his gift. A bag was pulled from his small coat closet and from that came the familiar costume of the Scarecrow. While Jonathan was planning to confront Zsasz as the Rogue, he himself would be in full control. Scarecrow had been quiet for most of the day, after the explosion with Tetch, though his eagerness and anticipation for what was about to come was slowly boiling to the surface. Finally they might have a lead. Aura might just be in his arms soon enough, he hoped. And this time he would never let her go. Scarecrow was right, it was time to move her into their safe house. While this Net Runner was still loose Aura would constantly be in danger from the man or woman's enemies. Once Aura was safe again, Jonathan and Scarecrow would hunt down this Net Runner and put an end to his connections with Aura, whatever they may be.

After dressing quickly in the Rouge's guise, Jonathan slipped on his long lab coat. It had been a long time since he had worn the coat but it was necessary to cover the Scarecrow's costume. The gauntlet was secure on his back while the mask was placed into a small satchel bag with other small tools and equipment. Jonathan hastened his pace to the nearby elevator. Once inside he swiped his badge on the panel so that he could select his floor. Rather than pressing a numbered button, Jonathan inserted a small key into a keyhole on the panel and the elevator began to descend into the basement level. Only a select few doctors and security guards had access to the darkened basement. There was little chance he would run into anyone down here. Most people avoided this area at all cost. Maybe that was one reason the solitary confinement was so hated by inmates. They seemed to lose their minds a little quicker when faced with only themselves for company.

The doors rattled opened on unoiled hinges and once Jonathan was assured that no one was around he made his way down the dark hallway. Arkham never bothered with updating the dated lighting system in the basement, preferring to use the much needed funds on other projects. Most of the fluorescent fixtures where broken casting long shadows down the hall. The smell of the isolation cells was something most people found uncomfortable and disconcerting. To Jonathan and his other half the smell was intoxicating. Fear at it's most primal form filled the air with the smell of desperation and dread. Just the smell alone was enough to send waves of anticipation and pleasure down his spine.

At the end of the hall stood the last cell. A small light could be seen flickering on and off sporadically through a small viewing window. The patient sat hunched over in the center of the concrete room, confined in a straight jacket. He rocked softly back and forth signaling that he was indeed awake.

Scarecrow's mask was pulled from the satchel bag and placed on his head. Then Jonathan slipped his key into the old lock and with a loud clank the door fell open. The patient remained hunched over, not acknowledging the new person in the room. "Hello Victor," Jonathan said softly, his voice coming out haunted and full of malice, as he stepped into the room locking the door from the inside. "Let's have a little chat."


	15. Chapter 15

Victor Zsasz chuckled softly as the altered voice of Jonathan Crane sounded from the Scarecrow's mask. Jonathan remained silent as he watched the broken man, still rocking in the center of the padded cell. Slowly Jonathan circled the man as if he were a predator and Zsasz his prey. As he completed his circuit Jonathan slipped from the starch white lab coat, tossing it into a dark corner of the padded cell. It puzzled the young doctor as to why Zsasz had yet to make any indication that he was aware of the intruder in his cell besides the simple laugh at the voice within the flickering darkness. Maybe Zsasz was not laughing at him but still feeling the residual side effects of the Joker's poison gas? Jonathan reached into one of the hidden pockets of his trousers, bringing out a syringe. The needle seemed to glow in the sporadic flashing of the room's single bare bulb, giving it a more sinister appeal. The fast acting sedative contained within the barrel of the syringe was merely for added protection. Jonathan, while confident in his abilities as a fighter and not above killing this vile criminal, knew harsh action would only hinder his cause. If Zsasz passed into the next world without divulging any information he knew about Joker's whereabouts or plans for Aura, Jonathan might just loose his last chance of reuniting with Aura alive.

Jonathan stopped for a moment, temporarily frozen at the word that just ran through his mind: Criminal. Since the first time he allowed his dark half to step into his skin and control their actions, since his first heist, his first murder, his first night as The Scarecrow; Jonathan had never once thought of himself as a criminal. A criminal was someone petty who only stole or killed without a reason. A criminal was someone who did things without thinking them through but just on a whim. These were the people that were all to often caught and thrown into the legal system. A criminal was useless and pathetic. Jonathan and Scarecrow, they were more than pathetic, petty, little men that scrambled around on hands and knees trying to scrape off the bottom of Gotham's underbelly. They were more than that, they were better than that. They were Rouges. Like Joker, Penguin, even Riddler, they had a purpose and vision. Scarecrow did not kill only because it was fun but for the betterment of science. Thanks to years of hard work Jonathan has succeeded in isolating the different ways that fear can effect the body and now they were so close in mastering the very aspect of fear itself. A criminal could never say the same. They would only stab you in the throat and pick your pockets as you stare lifelessly up at the sky above.

And now Zsasz would feel what it was like to be at the mercy of one of Gotham's elite. Carefully, always cautious to watch for the slightest twitch in the man's rocking motions infront of him, Jonathan stepped closer to Victor Zsasz. Jonathan circled around once more to the rear of Zsasz and studied the clasps on his straight jacket, looking for any signs that the restraints had weakened. Everyone knew of Victor Zsasz's extreme penchant for hand to hand combat and while Jonathan was not to shabby of a fighter himself, he would still be at a disadvantage without proper rest. He was beginning to believe that in his rush to find Aura he neglected the one thing that could undo all of his hard work, himself. Jonathan realized now that he should have waited, rested up for a good day, before attempting to extract information from the man. No matter, it was too late to turn back now.

Jonathan stored the syringe back into his pocket satisfied that for now, the restraints would keep Zsasz in check alone. After taking a deep breath it was time to begin. "I have some questions Zsasz and I trust that you are intelligent enough to know that I am in no mood for false answers." Zsasz continued his insistent rocking, not acknowledging that someone had spoken. Jonathan cleared his throat and tried again, louder this time. "Joker's gas should have worn off by now so I know you can hear me." Still the man rocked ever on, oblivious to the world around him. Growling in anger Jonathan reared one long, slender leg backwards and thrust it forward, savagely striking Zsasz in the side.

Finally the rocking ceased as Zsasz struggled back to his knees. Labored breathing could be heard coming from the bound man as he turned his head slowly from one side to the other, cracking his neck in the process. Zsasz began to slowly rock again causing Jonathan to grit his teeth in irritation. Jonathan reared back, ready to deliver another kick to the man's side with Zsasz suddenly froze. "You will regret it if you touch me again," he spoke softly, almost in a whisper. Quickly Jonathan returned to the front of the room, facing Zsasz. Slowly Zsasz lifted his head, staring right into Jonathan's mask, a burning hatred in his dark eyes. "He told me you would come."

"Joker?"

Zsasz laughed, his smile widening. Jonathan knew from the bruising around the killer's face that the act of smiling must have been excruciatingly painful, but Zsasz never showed it. "What kept you? I expected you would come much sooner. Don't tell me the poor excuse for security gave a criminal like you pause."

Before he could stop himself, Jonathan's fist connected with the side of Zsasz's face making a satisfyingly, sick crack. The man went flying back onto the ground, laughing maniacally. "I am not a criminal. I am a..."

"A what? A Rogue. Do not begin to flatter yourself." Slowly Zsasz picked himself back up, settling back onto his knees. "You are pathetic."

A warning growl issued from Jonathan's throat, low and primal. White hot rage was slowly beginning to boil under his skin. "Where is Joker hiding?"

Zsasz laughed loudly, his white teeth gleaming in the flashing of the light. A small amount of blood trickled from a break in his lip to which the man simply licked it off, seeming to savor the flavor of his own blood. "Is Joker what you really want to find or that woman that he seemed so intent on acquiring?"

Jonathan's heart fluttered in his chest. It took great effort but finally the young doctor was able to control the flood of emotions that entered his chest at the slightest mention of Aura. So Zsasz did know Aura, perhaps Hatter was telling the truth after all and Zsasz did have contact with the woman. But that raised an even bigger set of questions. "Where is she?" The shoulders of the straight jacket seemed to twitch in an upwards motion as if the man wearing it had simply shrugged. A cold and sadistic smile plastered itself onto Zsasz's face. "You don't know? I find that hard to believe."

A small chuckle. "What good would it do for me to lie to you?"

Jonathan sighed inwardly, this was just a waste of time. _**'Do not give up Jonathan. This man knows something.'**_

_'I know but aside from dosing him with our fear toxin I doubt we will be getting any information out of him easily.'_

**_'Why do you say that?'_** Scarecrow questioned.

Jonathan closed his eyes for a second and let the world around him dissolve into nothing. He needed to think. Doing his best to ignore the hunger pains in his stomach, the cramps in his tired legs, the gnawing headache at the back of his head, and the intense heaviness of his eyes; he let his mind wander. The answer was right there infront of him, he just couldn't see it through his blind anger. If he was going to extract any information from this criminal he would have to start asking the right questions, he would have to play by Zsasz's rules; and if there was one thing Jonathan had learned about career assassins is that they loved to brag. Jonathan opened his eyes to find Zsasz staring with mild interest at the man before him. "Mad Hatter seems to believe that you had contact with Aura Warren, Joker's captive. That must have been a pretty sizable contract on her head considering the trouble that clown went through to get a hold of her these past few weeks. Tell me, was he saving his best pet monkey for last?"

Zsasz chuckled low, his shoulders rocking up slightly with the movements. "Are you calling those poor excuses for lackeys he used assassins?" He shook his head from side to side, "I thought you would be smarter than that."

Jonathan smirked. "So then, its safe to assume with the lack of talent that he employed, Joker doesn't want her dead."

Dark eyes rolled around in their sockets before locking themselves onto the dark form before them. Zsasz's smile only widened as he replied in a mockingly sweet voice, "No you precious little flower is still in one piece." The smile widened and his eyes closed as the man seemed to be recalling a memory before he finished, "more or less."

"So you were hired to torture her? For what?" Jonathan's teeth gnashed together as he tried in vain to control his quickly rising temper. God if only he could have a few hours rest he could return to normalcy and reclaim his iron clad control over his emotions. "Joker obviously wanted something from Aura. Information perhaps?"

Zsasz remained silent merely smiling smugly up at his interrogator. Jonathan stared back, trying to calm his breathing, but the longer he looked into those empty, soulless pits the more he felt his own resolve crumbling. Viciously Jonathan lashed out, hauling the limb body of the assassin from the floor and thrusting him into the back wall of the small cell. Zsasz's neck snapped back, causing his head to hit the wall behind him. Briefly he struggled, flailing spasmodically until Jonathan forced more of his weight into muscularly lean body beneath him. With one hand wrapped tightly around Zsasz's throat the other brought the syringe up to the man's eye line. "Tell me what I want to know or I swear to whatever God there is that you will never see the light of another day." Zsasz merely laughed, causing Jonathan to growl, his resolve all but shattered. "What did you do to Aura? If you tortured her I'll..."

Suddenly Zsasz struck out, smacking his forehead into Jonathan's mask and causing the doctor to stumble backwards in surprise. He dropped the syringe, both hands flying to his forehead as he reeled back. The blinding pain was intense but a quick shake of the head and a few blinks were all it took to regain his sight as the adrenaline coursed through his veins. Unfortunately a few seconds was all it took for the master assassin to scoop up the discarded syringe on the floor with his now free hands. Now Jonathan understood what critical mistakes he had made upon walking into this cell. One being that not only was he physically and mentally taxed already but that exhaustion only helped to hinder his ability to fully observe the world around him. Zsasz had dislocated his shoulder upon hitting the ground the first time Jonathan kicked him which allowed him enough room to maneuver around in his binds thus loosening the straps of his jacket. The cracking of his neck was merely a diversion so the doctor would not noticed the small manipulations of the straps. Then after the punch brought him to the floor a second time, the shoulder was popped back into place, the damage already being done. Zsasz was freed of the jacket's bindings, Jonathan just didn't know it yet. The small jerking motions of his shoulders as he laughed further rocked the ties loose but by that point Jonathan was too riled up in anger to notice the elephant in the room.

The second critical misstep was in the handling of Victor Zsasz himself. Until he physically assaulted the assassin the two men had no quarrels. Zsasz was not the type of man to kill another he deemed of equal standing without reason, after all The Scarecrow might have had his uses. He could have easily won the man over and tried to reason the information he needed from Zsasz. But Jonathan only made him angry with the rough treatment this night. The look in the man's eyes said everything: Zsasz was angry and wanted to teach this high strung boy a lesson he would be hard pressed to forget. Jonathan braced himself, balling his fists up tight before relaxing his fingers in hopes of working any tendons loose. His gauntlet and other means of defending himself were still in the knapsack thrown carelessly into the corner with his lab coat. In other words, out of reach. His opponent on the other hand was armed with years of meticulous training and a very powerful sedative.

_**'Let me free Jonathan. I can get the information we need.'**_ The Scarecrow whispered into his ear.

Jonathan shook his head slightly as he assumed a more defensive stance. _'I can do this alone, Scarecrow. I can beat him or die trying.'_

Scarecrow laughed sadistically. _**'How would dying help our cause? If you die, I die. Then who would help Aura.'**_

_'Nygma would find her for me, but he won't need to because I plan on finding her myself. If I can't beat Zsasz then what makes me think I would have what takes to protect Aura for the rest of our lives?' _Jonathan smiled, the thought of spending the rest of his hopefully long life with Aura spread a feeling of calm serenity over his exhausted body. The elation was intoxicating to him and his muscles seemed to soak it in and rejuvenate themselves. _'I don't pretend to think that this will be an easy fight and yeah I might die. But I would do whatever it takes to get her back. I would die, for Aura.'_

Scarecrow receded back into his mind, allowing Jonathan to handle this on his own. _**'Die if you so choose. I won't interfere if you do not wish it, until your pathetic attempts at playing the hero are destroyed by Zsasz, but know this,'**_ his other half gave off a small amused laugh, _**'I still think you're a love sick fool.'**_

Jonathan scoffed himself, replying, _'And you're not a fool?'_

_**'I'm not the one trying to kill myself before getting the girl.'**_

About the outcome of the inevitable fight, Jonathan was certain of one thing and that was the he would not walk away unscathed. In fact he welcomed the pain that Zsasz was sure to inflict during the altercation if it meant that he would learn more and his personal fighting skills were to grow. In the past, when it came down to a hand to hand bout or the like, Scarecrow was always in full control. Even during their self-taught training in what Jonathan joking called the "violent dancing," a mix between the crane style of martial arts and drunken boxing, Scarecrow took the forefront. Jonathan himself was a non-violent man, preferring to engage his opponents on an intellectual battlefield. This would be a whole new experience for the doctor but one that he would need if he were to one day rid himself of the Scarecrow for good. After all, if he were to be able to defend himself against one of the most deadly men in Gotham City without the dark one's help, then Joker and anyone else who were to threaten those he cared about would be mere child's play.

Jonathan knew what he had to do and that was to get that syringe away from Zsasz as soon as possible. If only he could get it and inject that sedative into Zsasz then he would have the upper hand. Taking a deep breath, Jonathan launched himself towards the scarred man. His fist connected solidly on Zsasz's cheek, a fleshy smacking sound erupting in the otherwise silent room. Zsasz staggered back but Jonathan stayed on him, throwing punch after punch and connecting every one on the other man's face and chest. The pain that laced through his fists from the first punch was gradually waning as he continued his assault. Zsasz didn't have enough time to block each punch as Jonathan backed him into the wall. Finally breathless, Jonathan stepped back and smirked as he took in the battered, bruised, and bloodied face of Victor Zsasz.

Zsasz chuckled as he licked a stream of blood from his busted lip. "Are you finished?" Jonathan's smirk faded quickly as Zsasz stood tall, no evidence of his assault having fazed the professional assassin. "My turn."

Suddenly the tables had turned in a flash. Jonathan doubled over in pain as Zsasz's left leg kicked out and planted itself into his stomach. The assassin followed this quick kick up with a sickening flat palm strike to the center of Jonathan's masked, crushing his nose beneath it. As Jonathan staggered backward trying to shake the sudden bright spots from his vision, Zsasz dropped to the ground and swept his leg under Jonathan's, bringing the doctor to his back. Jonathan's head hit the ground, snapping back once on the initial fall and a second time as Zsasz jumped on top of him, wrapped a firm hand around his neck, and forcing the back of his skull back into floor. Even the soft amount of padding wasn't enough to cushion the concrete below.

Zsasz squeezed tightly and sat the syringe onto the ground beside them, just out of reach of Jonathan's fingers. "Just what were hoping to accomplish by coming here today?" Zsasz punched Jonathan in his side, pushing all the remaining air from his diaphragm. "I was given one job to do before Joker threw me overboard and that was to find out who you were and eliminate you. Then once he was one with that white haired woman and I could do I please with her. Maybe I will keep her alive long enough to father a son to carry on with my legacy."

Jonathan struggled wildly against the hold on his neck, desperately trying to get air as his lungs screamed. The weight of the man on top of him made his legs useless. He tried to lash out with his hands, but the lack of air was making his limbs feel otherworldly and heavy. Zsasz was easily able to bat away Jonathan's feeble attempts at pushing him away. Finally Zsasz loosened his grip around Jonathan's neck. Greedily Jonathan sucked in air, tears stung his eyes as a pressure moved into his head.

"Now let's see who you are." Zsasz said quietly.

Jonathan grit his teeth and tried to push Zsasz off him, throwing a punch towards his face. Zsasz caught his wrist and twisted, pushing all his weight onto the limb. Jonathan screamed out as the bone in his arm snapped under the pressure being put onto it. Zsasz released his wrist, the arm falling limply to the side. Quickly Jonathan struck out with his other arm, landing a solid hit onto the side of Zsasz's face and knocking him off balance. But Zsasz was quick in regaining his seat upon Jonathan's torso and grabbed Jonathan's arm. He grinned wickedly but instead of breaking this limb he simply forced Jonathan's arm to the ground and pinned it beneath his knee.

Zsasz reached out and snagged a fistful of Jonathan's mask. "Now be a good boy and stop resisting. You know you can't win." With a savage tug Zsasz ripped the Scarecrow mask from Jonathan head, exposing his face. "You?"

"Yeah me. Tell me how does it make you feel to know you're about to be murdered by a pathetic doctor?" Jonathan teased.

Zsasz chuckled under his breath. "Doctor Crane, you're an intelligent man, surely you can see just who is the one who is going to die here. To think you're the Scarecrow, the great and terrifying King of Fear. Joker is going to get a good laugh out of this one when I send your head to your precious Aura. Do you think she'll cry after seeing the face of the Rogue who dared to claim her?"

Hatred flowed through Jonathan's veins as Zsasz continued to antagonize him. He knew that he should not listen. He had to find a way out of this. He just need to calm down and think straight. Jonathan closed his eyes in an attempt to calm the flowing fire in his veins, to ignore the pain shooting up his broken arm. But Zsasz had other ideas.

Zsasz struck out, smacking Jonathan's cheek. "Hey now, pay attention. Joker was very specific in how I should kill you. He wanted me to reminisce about my time with your precious Aura, before I saw your head off."

Jonathan's eyes snapped open and locked onto Zsasz. He was no longer trying to stem the tide of his rising anger. He was letting it flow freely, igniting the burning passion in his heart to kill the man holding him down. He could feel his and Scarecrow's mind merging, becoming one with one another. Zsasz now had his undivided attention.

"Joker brought me in when his plans at abducting that girl were failing, when you got involved. You see according to him some big man in Metropolis is offering a lot of money for that girl. Joker has been poking around to find out why. Come to find out your little girlfriend knows a thing or two about that Net Runner who created that deadly virus that caused all those people to go insane and kill people a few months back." He shrugged, "I don't know if she created it personally or just happens to be an unfortunate third party to this Net Runner and to be honest I don't care. Either way, I was brought in as assurance. I was to follow Joker into this little stunt with her parents and secure that the Scarecrow would not interfere should he be present with Aura. But low and behold she stupidly turned herself over in a feeble attempt at protecting her parents. Then Joker struck a deal with me. I was to keep her quiet while she was transported to the holding facility. Once there my job was complete and my payment secured."

"Where did he take her?" Jonathan growled out.

Zsasz laughed, "Why do you even care Crane? You won't live long enough to find her and besides I was forced to make an exit before the transfer was made."

Jonathan smirked. "So Joker cut you out of the deal then."

"Well I did always have a problem with following orders."

"I wouldn't expect any less from a creature like you."

"Flattery will not get you out of this situation Doctor." Zsasz wagged his finger from side to side. "If you knew the rules I broke you wouldn't be so chatty."

Zsasz shifted slightly on top of Jonathan, relaxing himself back so he was sitting on Jonathan's hips. As the assassin shifted Jonathan felt a slight prick on the tip of his middle finger. Suddenly Jonathan felt a rush of relief flood through him. Stupidly, in repositioning himself on top of what he thought was his defeated opponent, Zsasz had unknowingly moved the syringe just slightly. But it was enough. Jonathan just needed to keep him distracted as he tried to use his longest finger to catch the syringe and roll is closer to his hand.

"I have covered your therapy every time you have been admitted to Arkham. I doubt anything you say will surprise me." Jonathan stated dryly.

"I was in charge of keeping that, well I have to admit, spirited young lady quiet as we moved through the city and to the final transport. We couldn't have her alerting some gun-ho police officer who doesn't know when to leave well enough alone as far as the Rouges go. We couldn't afford any complications. She was still in too much shock to attempt much while in the van but as soon as she saw the transport a switch was flicked inside her. I have to say it was invigorating to watch her pathetic, weak attempts at fighting back against me. You see when I first met her she was a zombie, devoid of life and emotionless eyes reflecting back when you looked into her face. As soon as she awaken on that pier," Zsasz shuttered softly, "Ah, I've never seen such fire and life erupt in a person before. I knew she didn't need to be liberated like so many I have helped before."

"Killed," Jonathan corrected.

"That's a matter of opinion." Zsasz smiled. "Joker had one rule for me in keeping her quiet and that was, I was not to cut her. I could hit her or punch her, kick her if I had to, but Joker didn't want her to have any scars. Apparently Joker still had plans on selling her to that Metropolis buyer once he was done with her and the buyer wanted her in perfect condition. We all know my pension for going a little too far with my blades. You helped me to see the error of my ways as far as that is concerned Doctor Crane and for that I'm thankful. But I just couldn't help myself."

Jonathan growled and struggled slightly, Zsasz shifted to regain a stronger seat on top of him. But Jonathan succeeded in his attempt and the syringe was firmly in his hand, Zsasz none the wiser. He was still far to engrossed in the retelling of his story and witnessing Jonathan's fury.

"I had a problem after that. You see Aura was only ever truly alive when she was in the deepest throws of fear. Merely hitting her around to keep her quiet just made her angrier and she lashed out. But the first time my blade sliced into that tender flesh, ah the passion of hatred in her eyes blossomed so beautifully. I couldn't stop myself. Every time she would come down from that high that adrenaline brings, I would have to cut her again to bring it back. Then Joker found out and well," he spread his arms wide, "here we are."

Jonathan felt his blood run cold. Only one question remained in his mind. Was Aura still alive?

In a flash Jonathan wildly bucked his hips, throwing the unsuspecting assassin off balance enough for Jonathan to flip their positions. The adrenaline pumping through his veins was enough for him to completely ignore the pain shooting up his broken arm. The syringe in his hand flashed as he brought the needle up and thrust it down and into Zsasz's eye. The eye burst under the force and pressure of Jonathan's blow. Zsasz began screaming in pain as blood pooled from the ruined orbit. Jonathan pushed one of his knees into Zsasz's chest and wrapped a slim hand tightly around his neck.

When he spoke his voice was not that of the refined doctor nor the killer hiding in his psyche, it was that of a possessed demon. "Is Aura alive?"

Zsasz struggled for breath, wildly throwing his hands out trying to get purchase on Jonathan's face or neck. Jonathan released his neck and quickly pulled the syringe from Zsasz's socket before plunging it into the other eye. Zsasz's screams became louder again. "TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!" Jonathan screamed over top of Zsasz.

In frustration Jonathan stood up and moved to the satchel in the corner. A few minutes of wrestling the needle gauntlet onto his arm, thankfully Zsasz broke his less dominant arm. Zsasz had rolled over and onto his knees, sweeping his arms out infront of him. "Where are you Crane? I'm going to kill you and eat your heart. I swear, when I find Joker and Aura I'm going to torture her to within an inch of her life and before I kill her I'll let her cuddle your lifeless corpse out of mercy. But all of Gotham will witness her brutal death when I slit that marble throat of hers."

Jonathan took his time walking around Zsasz, listening to the ranting of the doomed man. Surprising the hatred and fury he had felt were subsiding. Jonathan felt calm. Carefully he placed one foot on Zsasz's back and forced him back to the ground. He ran the tips of his needles up Zsasz's back and stopped once he reached the nape of his neck. "Thank you for all of your help tonight Victor. You have taught me a lot about myself. You taught me that I have a lot to work on if I hope to become a better fighter so I can protect Aura in the future. And believe me I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will get her back, though you will a long rotting corpse by then. I sincerely thank you for tonight Victory. You clarified to me, cemented to me, that in my mind Aura is what I hold most dear and nothing, not you or that clown, are going to stand between me and her."

Slowly Jonathan pushed the tips of the needles into the back of Zsasz's neck and administered all of the toxin that the glove could possible hold. The toxin quickly spread through Zsasz's veins, overdosing and killing him almost instantly. It didn't even leave enough time for Zsasz to experience any sort of fear but Jonathan didn't care, so long as the man who supposedly tortured and hurt Aura was dead. Now only the clown remained.


	16. Chapter 16

Jonathan leaned heavily against the wall of the isolation cell, his only company the corpse of Victor Zsasz. Slowly his breathing was evening out, though bouts of intense pain would radiate from the broken arm hanging uselessly on his left side. So many thoughts were racing through his mind, answers to questions he had been asking himself for weeks now that were so close but yet he missed them. These answers were right in front of him but for some reason, either through sheer ignorance or an unwillingness to commit to the truth in front of him, his sharp mind had missed these important revelations. In turn these revelations could have helped him prevent the events already set into motion. And even with all these thoughts running around in his mind, Jonathan still needed to have confirmation that his current revelations were correct. These answers he would get, soon enough, but for now he desperately needed to take care of his wounds. Only then could he begin to track down the clown himself.

Collecting his discarded bag from the floor and slinging it over his right shoulder, Jonathan looked one last time towards his fallen foe. _'He deserved this. He will be but the first to die in my quest to get Aura back.'_

**_'Are you trying to justify to yourself the fact that you just killed a man?' _**Scarecrow questioned, oddly soft in his tone.

Jonathan shook his head as he retreated from the room, slowly making his way back towards the elevator at the end of the hall. _'I in no way, shape, or form feel guilty for killing Zsasz. He was a rabid animal that should have been put down a long time ago.' _Jonathan leaned against the metal wall of the elevator as it began its slow ascent, _'Perhaps if the red tape and bureaucracy of this disgusting town was not as bad as it was. so many innocents could have been saved from his madness. No, I did this world a favor by ending his life.'_

Scarecrow gave off a noise of approval before replying, _**'Then why is your mind so full of confusion? You can't hide it from me. I can feel the tormented thoughts running through your mind. Even I am having trouble trying to find one coherent thought among the rabble.'**_

_'I apologize for the mess. If its bothering you, you can always feel free to retreat to your corner and leave me be for once.' _Jonathan sighed as he unlocked his office door and moved inside. Scarecrow said nothing as Jonathan slide his arms back into his suit coat, stuffing his costume back into the bag. Finally, he sighed inwardly before saying, _'I apologize, my friend. Today has been trying but Nygma is right. We need to learn to work together. For a few moments in that cell I felt our minds combine. I know you did as well.' _

**_'I did. I have to admit it felt good to finally be at peace with you and work together towards a common goal.' _**Scarecrow laughed softly, the sound slowly echoing through his mind. **_'What are you trying to say to me Jonny?'_**

After locking the door to his office, Jonathan began the long walk down the hall towards the exit of the psychiatric department. _'I'm merely trying to say that perhaps we need to start trusting one another and attempt to work together efficiently if we hope to complete our goal in a timely manner. Aura could be ours all the sooner if we were to be united in this task.' _Jonathan stopped suddenly thrusting his right hand out to catch himself on the wall beside him. A sharp, throbbing pain shot up his ruined arm and continuously became worse as he walked down the hall. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead as he fought to control the pain paralyzing his body from moving forward.

Scarecrow slowly pushed himself into the forefront of Jonathan's mind, cradling his subconscious. Softly, even tenderly for the demon himself, he spoke, _**'Let me help you. My tolerance for pain is far superior to your own. Simply tell me were our path lays and I will see us to the end.'**_

Hesitantly Jonathan relinquished control of his body to his darker half. Scarecrow easily was able to ignore the pain in his arm, merely treating it as if he were scraped from a fall, and continued down the hall. Once outside of the psychiatric ward, he moved towards the exit of the building itself. Jonathan directed the Rogue along the cobbled pathways between the island's buildings until they reached the Medical Ward. Scarecrow swiped his badge, the door unlocking from its magnetic seal, before continuing into the ward itself. A few turns and a massive hallway of empty and dark offices later, they stopped before the door to the man Jonathan was looking for. Scarecrow retreated to the recesses of Jonathan's mind, giving up control of their shared body. Immediately the pain intensified tenfold and Jonathan had to bite into his lip to keep from crying out in agony as the adrenaline was wearing off. Breathing heavily, Jonathan slowly lifted his hand and knocked on the glass pane of the door.

It was a few moments before the door swung inward and Jack Barrow smiled down at his colleague. The smile soon faded however as the doctor noticed the bloodied cuts, bruises, and intense look of pain on the young man's face leaning against the wall in front of him. "Jonathan, what have you done?" Barrow whispered as he wrapped an arm underneath Jonathan's shoulders and helped him into his office.

The young doctor collapsed heavily into the wooden chair, holding his left arm close to his chest as the pain continued to shoot up his arm. "A minor irritation that had to be taken care of."

Barrow shook his head, the smile returning to his face. Kneeling down beside Jonathan he held out his hand. "Let me see it." Slowly Jonathan moved his left arm, allowing Barrow to gently grasp it. Barrow tenderly palpitated the limb, making small noises of approval as he examined. Jonathan growled out as the doctor turned his arm over to look at the other side. He had to bite his lip again, drawing blood into his mouth, as Barrow gently squeezed the bruised section. "Well the good news is that the break looks clean. Give me a minute to get some supplies and I'll cast it up for you."

Jonathan sighed in relief as the man left his arm alone. "So it should heal on its own?"

Barrow nodded down towards his companion and smiled softly, "You should only have to keep the cast on for about six weeks but I think you'll be just fine." The doctor left, returning a few moments later with his arms full. "You're lucky that you are a healthy, young man." Barrow carefully wrapped Jonathan's arm, taking care to immobilize and stabilize his arm before placing it inside of a sling. "I won't ask what happened and if anyone asks me why I bandaged you up I will simply tell them you had a nasty fall at home."

"Thank you Jack." Jonathan carefully placing the shoulder of his jacket back onto his left shoulder, covering his arm. "I appreciated all that you have done for me over the last few days. I intend to repay your kindness."

Barrow shook his head, "Just invite me to dinner when you have your woman back. I would love to meet the lady who claimed your heart, she would have to be one incredible person."

Jonathan smiled and gratefully accepted the painkillers offered by the doctor. Once inside his car, Jonathan pulled his phone from his pocket and sent a short text to his next destination. Parking his car in a dark alley next to the Riddler's safe house, Jonathan quickly made his way to the door. The door swung open as he stepped towards it and Edward Nygma ushered him in and up towards the computer room beyond the top of the stairs. Jonathan sat in his usual armchair in the corner and watched as the Riddler resumed his spot on the wheeled stool before the main console of his computer. A few clicks later, Nygma spun on his chair to give the man in the corner of the room his undivided attention. "So what is this lead you found?"

Jonathan was silent for a good long while, his thoughts once again running rampant inside his mind. The entire time the answer was right there and now the man in front of him, Jonathan suspiciously thought that Nygma knew all along, would give him the conformation he needed. Aura and Net Runner, what was their real connection? Both people came from Metropolis and both seemed to disappear from the big city at the same time. Aura could be a hacker, she was smart and anything was possible, but was she capable of creating something as deadly and dangerous as supposedly the Net Runner created? She did claim to have saved her own mother from a debilitating mental disease, whereas the Net Runner was able to manipulate the mind as well using today's technology. Then there was the other things that Zsasz had said and the only photograph known of the elusive hacker. Both claimed that Net Runner had white hair, and naturally white at that. Aura had beautiful, curly black hair, now dyed red from Halloween. Unless that too was a lie and she did have white hair all along? Why would she not just tell him the truth though? If she was that hacker, why not just tell him?

_**'For the same reason you hide me.' **_Scarecrow called out. **_'If she is the Net Runner, and it is likely at this point...'_**

_'Then she didn't want us to judge her. She didn't trust us enough yet.' _Jonathan closed his eyes, _'That will change soon though.' _He knew that for now he would need to focus his mind on finding Aura. Then after she was located and within arms reach would he confront his friend about the hidden secret he kept.

"Everything okay over there?" Nygma called out to his friend.

Slowly Jonathan raised his head towards the bare chested man sitting there across from him. Only wearing a pair of green question mark pajama pants, Nygma did not strike an imposing facade. "I'm fine why do you ask?"

Nygma gestured towards the bandages covering the cuts on his face and arms, the giant bruise on his neck, and the sling on his left arm. "What happened?"

Jonathan sat back as he told Nygma about him confronting Zsasz and the fight that followed. Being careful to skip over his suspicions while telling his story. Jonathan finished his story and locked his icy blue eyes on Nygma's. "So Zsasz mentioned twice things that eluded to a boat and pier. Joker obviously threw him overboard after he disobeyed his orders."

Nygma immediately turned around and began clicking keys on his keyboard. Screens popped up and silently he began reading over everything. Jonathan felt his eyes grow heavy and slowly let them close as the man in front of him worked. "Is Penguin at Arkham?"

Without opening his eyes Jonathan responded, "Yes, he was admitted a few days before you escaped."

Nygma hummed and continued to work on his computer. "Do you have any idea if he has a way of conducting his 'business' while on the inside?"

"Why the sudden interest in Cobblepot?" Jonathan questioned, cracking one eye open when the typing stopped. Nygma had turned to look at the young doctor.

"Oswald Cobblepot makes a lot of his money smuggling illegal goods in and out of the Gotham docks under the guise of oil. He would be the first person I would go to if I needed to move human cargo out of the city and was also being hunted by the police." Nygma shrugged, "Cobblepot is a business man and I'm willing to bet that if the Joker paid him enough, even the Penguin would work for the clown."

Jonathan closed his eyes as he thought back to Arkham and the Penguin. "Doctor Long is his therapist and from what I have heard the man is in Penguin's pocket. It could be safely assumed that he is a gopher for the Penguin and helps the man conduct his business while still inside of the asylum."

Nygma nodded thoughtfully and turned around back to the keyboard. "So all I have to do is hack into the Gotham dock master's terminal and see if there is anything suspiciously being shipped over the last few weeks." Turning back with a squeak, he addressed the doctor again, "This might take awhile if you want to help yourself to the kitchen or take a nap. You look like shit, Jonathan."

"Fuck you too, Nygma." Jonathan uncharacteristically growled out. Lifting himself slowly from the chair and stumbling down the stairs, he made his way into the kitchen. After combing through the fridge and cabinets, Jonathan settled with making himself a grilled cheese and glass of milk. As soon as the food hit his stomach, did the doctor realize just how hungry he was. After making himself two more sandwiches and another glass of milk was he finally satisfied. Crawling onto the couch in Nygma's small living room, he curled up under the blanket that was thrown on the sofa and rested his head on his good arm.

_**'Do you really think we have a good chance of finding her?' **_Scarecrow questioned just as Jonathan's eyes slid closed.

Jonathan smiled to himself, _'If anyone can find out if she was smuggled onto one of Penguin's ships, its Nygma. I trust him and his mind is a valuable thing in a situation like this.' _

_**'You should have let me fight Zsasz, Jonny. It was stupid of you to willingly put yourself in harm's way simply because you wanted to prove yourself a bigger man in our little pissing contest. This broken arm will be a hindrance in getting my Aura back.'**_ Scarecrow's growls continued to get lower and full of menace the longer he berated his better half.

_'Our Aura. She will belong to both of us. Besides I need to learn my own limitations and I do apologize for the timing of wishing to learn that same lesson. We will be fine in the end; the clowns are nothing compared to the fury and anger in our heart.'_ Jonathan pulled the blanket further up his shoulders before resettling himself down on his arm. _'For now, my dark friend, we need to rest this tired body of ours. We have both been negligent to our physical well being.'_

* * *

Groaning loudly, Aura slowly opened her right eye. The left having become too swollen from that monster's punch to her face. The room was fuzzy as she tried to look around the metal room she was in. After closing her eye and reopening it again, the room finally came into focus. The walls were a thick, rusting metal with no windows or any decorations to be seen. There was a single desk across from her, a man with his feet kicked up on the desktop was sleeping soundly. Aura winced slightly as she tried to move her body and only then realized that her arms with numb. Looking above her she saw that she was still chained to a pipe in the ceiling, her arms ghostly white as the blood was draining from her limbs. Any slight movement and her arms would start to sting as if one thousand needles were being pushed into her skin. She closed her eyes again, trying to remember what had happened in the last week. After the van stopped, the night she was kidnapped, they knocked her unconscious. She awoke in the same metal room she was in now, listening to the sound of what could only be water slapping the side of the ship's haul. When she woke up, a thin man covered in counting tick marks all over his body greeted her. Zsasz was what the clown's men called him. He was the very definition of a monster. Overhearing a clown talking to him after the first night in this room, she learned that he had one simple job, to keep her quiet long enough for them to leave the pier they were at, and then again when they arrived at their destination.

Once the man entered the room, Aura began hammering him with questions. She demanded to see Joker, claiming she would never help him with anything. Quickly the man slapped her across the face before dragging a knife up the inside of her leg and reminding her that there was still one person whose life depended on her continued assistance. Jonathan's life. Remembering the threat against him was enough to quiet her, but not quench the fire in her soul. Day after day in that room she would be hung from the pipe, only let down long enough to eat or relieve herself. Zsasz would take pleasure in hitting or punching her. He told her only once that Joker had only told him that he can't leave any permanent marks. If anything Zsasz was a master with his blades. He would leave light, little cuts all over her body, taking great care to smack those areas until she screamed out in pain and then he had an excuse to choke her until she passed out. Finally about the fourth day, Aura's mind all but broke. Zsasz approached her and Aura used all her weight to kick the man in the face, breaking his nose. He laughed as blood poured down his face and onto his chest. Wrapping his hands around her throat, he choked her until she was almost unconscious before releasing her neck. He then tore the shirt from her chest and dug a knife deep into her side dragging it down about three inches before pulling it out. He reared back to thrust the blade into her side again but her screams had alerted one of the men in black and white, the ones in black and white apparently did not work for Joker directly, who then ran into the room and knocked Zsasz to the ground with a heavy punch to the back on his head.

Joker was summoned himself after that. A small woman, frightful of the clown standing in the room glaring at the monster out cold on the floor, was brought to treat Aura's wounds. They uncuffed her from the pipe while the woman stitched her side. Joker kicked and punched Zsasz, all the while screaming that he couldn't even wait for them to leave Gotham before trying to mess up everything. Joker ordered some of his clown faced men to gas Zsasz and throw him overboard. Ever since then, this other man would watch over her. Apparently they were already away from the Gotham docks for if she screamed or was loud the man made no move to stop her. Aura opened her eye again when she heard the scrapping of a chair on the metal floor. The man had stood and was coming closer to her, a bottle of water and rag in his hand.

Nervously the man looked over his shoulder and then back towards Aura. She tried to move away from him, fearful this man was going to hurt her, but softly the man shook his head. "I'm not going to touch you I swear." Slowly the man raised the open bottle to her lips. "Here, I know you have to be thirsty. Its clean and cold. I promise I didn't poison it in any way." When she didn't open her lips the man laughed under his breath. He was a large man, twice the size of any normal man, and when he laughed the movement only made him seem awkward. "Here I'll show you," the man took a swig of the water, "see its clean."

Aura parted her lips and the man slowly poured the ice cold water in her mouth. The taste made her moan as they rarely gave her clean water, only stale and lukewarm murky water with her meals. She sucked it down greedily until the bottle was almost drained before stopping and breathing heavily. "Why are you helping me?" she asked, out of breath.

The man smiled towards her. He soaked the rag in the remaining cold water before wiping her face with the now cool, damp cloth. Aura's eyes rolled closed as the caked dirt and sweat from the warm room was removed from her skin. Something about this man was familiar though she could not place it. Though when he talked again did she remember him. "I have a sister around your age. Well I had a sister around your age." Gently the man wiped down her neck, letting the coolness ease her bruised flesh. "She died from cancer about three years ago. I just can't stand by and watch you suffer."

He stopped when Aura laughed gently. "Isn't it your job to make me suffer?"

The man looked at her, his eyes full of remorse behind the clown makeup. "He only said my job was to watch over you and make sure you don't alert any coppers when we reach port."

"Where are we going?" she asked quickly.

The man sighed again. "Does it matter? Joker is never going to let you go and you know that." He looked over his shoulder again before lowering his voice. "Why didn't you run when I told you to? When I saw you walking down the sidewalk towards me, my heart stopped. You are so young you could have stayed where you were and let the police stop Joker. Why did you come here?"

Aura hung her head, a tear rolling down her cheek. "I had to save my parents."

"Joker killed them. He planned to kill them all along."

"I had to try!" Aura exclaimed.

The man quickly shushed her and looked over his shoulder towards the door. After a few minutes he sighed sadly and turned back to her. "You're brave, but he's going to take everything he can from you. Even that man he said he would kill. The second you stop being of use to him, Joker will find him and kill him too, just to hurt you."

Aura was quiet as she contemplated the man standing before her. He was the exact opposite of what she thought he was upon making her first impression. He was kind and concerned about the direction her life was going. Aura blurted out, before she could stop herself, "Why are you here? Why do you work for a man like that?"

Slowly the clown looked up at her with a sad smile. "What other work is there for a felon like me? I tried to get a decent job but as soon as the employer finds out about the girl I molested when I was a teenager, I'm always sacked. One bad choice in my life; one bad decision to trust a girl when she said that she was 17 but was really 14 and I was 19, and I can't find any job to live off of. Working for a criminal is the only choice I have now to provide for my little girl." The man pulled his wallet from his back pocket and showed her a picture inside. A small two year old girl with caramel skin and a bright toothy smile, shone from the picture like a ray of sunshine after a thunderstorm. Aura felt her heart break at the sight of the beautiful girl and the thought that her daddy is putting his life on the line to provide her with a better life. The man looked at the picture himself before hiding the wallet once again. "Look I can't say that I can get you out of here, but I can at least help you. You're a world class hacker right? So if I can get you whatever components you need to make something that would alert the police to your presence without letting Joker know, could you do it?"

Aura thought for a moment and nodded. "I might be able too." She stopped and smiled small at the friend she seemed to have made. Though she couldn't fully trust him, this man seemed genuine in his declaration. "What's your name?"

"Marco."

"Marco, Joker took a communications device from my bag and put it in his pocket. If I could get that back I may be able to contact the GCPD or Batman." she whispered to him.

Marco frowned, "I should be able to get it for you. I'm a veteran around here and never caused trouble among the men so I'm pretty trusted. But...," he stopped and looked back towards the door before continuing, "we're not in Gotham anymore. We are in Metropolis."

* * *

Jonathan felt his shoulder being shook softly and heard a whispering from above his head. "Jonathan? Come on wake up, I think I found something."

Quickly Jonathan sprang up from the couch, wrapping a hand around Nygma's neck and squeezing tightly. Slowly his mind caught up from the fog of waking from his deep sleep, and he immediately released the man. Breathing hard he fell back on the sofa, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Don't ever wake me up like that again."

Riddle coughed while trying to suck in air from the vice like grip that was on his neck. "I tried calling your name but you never responded. I thought you were dead."

"I haven't slept in days. Sorry about that Nygma."

Nygma shot him a dark glare before repeating, "I found something."

Jonathan nodded and followed the Rogue to the kitchen were Riddler retrieved a glass of bourbon before leading the way back to his computer room. "What is it?"

Slurping down half his drink, he pointed to the screen in front of them. "Its a manifest for one of Penguin's main ships. Only thing is that the harbor master labeled it as carrying only grain and vegetables. Penguin never uses a cover like that plus the ship itself is an oil barge so there is no way they would carry food on it." He finished off his drink before continuing. "Plus there's this." Nygma clicked into another report and stepped aside to let Jonathan read it. "A policeman monitoring the harbor was sniffing around the barge when he heard the unmistakable sounds of a woman screaming on board. Unfortunately the ship was pulling away from port before he could investigate but, and here's where things get interesting, Victor Zsasz was thrown overboard from the same ship and the policeman fished him out of the water."

Jonathan felt his breath catch in his throat. Even Scarecrow was waiting with baited breath to hear what Riddler had to say. When he didn't continue Jonathan stood to his full height, the excitement coursing through his veins like wildfire. "Where is the ship heading?"

Riddler smirked maniacally, "Metropolis."


End file.
